Of Evil Eyes And Unlikely Alliances
by shadowglove
Summary: When Whitney, sure that his ex's friend, Tina Greer, has placed the Evil Eye on him, he goes to the only person he believes will not only believe him, but help him as well. Chloe Sullivan isn't exactly the girl he thought she would be...but that's okay.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.

Written for my Paranormal25 150 Prompt Table. Prompt of the day #69: Evil Eye

Chloe Sullivan/Whitney Fordman set in AU Season 1.

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Chloe tapped her pencil against her desk, looking up at the last person she would have expected to come walking through the Torch's doors. "You think someone put the _Evil Eye_ on you."

"Not _someone_." Whitney Fordman, star Quarterback and most popular boy in high school, leaned down with his palms flat against the table, glaring down at Chloe as if this were somehow all of _her_ fault. "It's Tina Greer. She's freakishly obsessed with Lana and ever since Lana and I started dating that _freak_ has been giving me the evil eye and I've lost every single game and I'm getting D's, and people hate me all of a sudden because they say I've done or said things I know I didn't do or say, and I'm _clumsy_---I'm not clumsy!"

Chloe tilted her head to the side slightly as he vented.

"Every single time she looks at me something bad happens!" Whitney continued. "And then, as if everything wasn't bad enough---now _Lana_ dumped me because she said that she needed time to think some things through---when just yesterday she told me that she was really happy we were going out!"

When it seemed that he had finished with his rant, Chloe leaned forwards on the desk. "Why exactly are you telling me this?"

The Quarterback blinked, seeming surprised as he pushed off of the desk and cleared his throat, folding hid arms over his chest. "Well, uh, because you're into this freaky stuff. Anyone who reads the Torch would know that you only write about weird stuff, and if there's anything going on you'll be able to figure it out and find a way to stop it. It bet she's a meteor freak just like all the others you found out about and wrote about."

She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "You read the Torch."

He looked uncomfortable. "Sometimes."

Steepling her fingers in front of her, Chloe raised an eyebrow. "So, what do I get out of this? _If_ I helped you, checked things out, checked Greer out, what do _I_ get out of it?"

"Personal pleasure at outing yet another freak?" Whitney asked.

Chloe snorted. "Try again, buddy. Personal gratification can only get a girl so far in this life, you know?"

He glared at the blonde for not jumping to his help eagerly like any other girl would, folding his arms over his chest, wearing his jersey proudly like always. "I'll give you that interview you wanted so badly at the beginning of semester."

"You shot me down like Black Hawk, and guess what, I'm not interested anymore." Chloe responded, standing and giving him a somewhat spiteful smile. "Now, I just think you're sour because you got dumped by the 'hottest' girl in school and you're trying to find fault in someone who isn't _you_ because actually having to stop and realize that you're not the most desirable thing to the female population on a whole would burst your little bubble."

"_Hey_!"

"And for the record, I have nothing against the meteor infected in general, so just outing someone who has done _nothing_ harmful wouldn't give me pleasure at all. I only have problems with those who have used their abilities for the darkside." Chloe continued, storming around the desk and beginning to poke the Quarterback angrily on his chest, driving him back a step with every poke. "And believe me, even _if_ she had something to do with the Lang breaking up with you, it's not warranted having herself exposed to a bunch of immature _idiots_ who would ridicule or torment her due to something she had to no control over."

Whitney, looking somewhat afraid and in pain, continued to back away quickly.

Chloe continued to charge after him. "And just the _fact_ that you're willing to put her through something like that because of your wounded _ego_ just tells me that if she really _has_ put the evil eye on you---you probably deserve it!"

Whitney opened his mouth to defend himself before tripping over his own feet and falling flat on his ass on the floor.

Even _Chloe_ was a little winded by that.

The jock closed his eyes and growled. "I'm…not…_clumsy_!"

Well…

Chloe had to give him that.

She'd watched him a few times, and she knew that watching Whitney was like listening to poetry. There was a fluidity and creativeness in the way he moved and played football, a lightness and sureness on his feet…

…he wasn't the type of person to just trip over himself like this.

"I see coming here was a big mistake." The Quarterback exclaimed darkly, picking himself up and narrowing his eyes on her. "I thought you would be the only person in the whole town who wouldn't think I was insane and would actually_ help_ me. But obviously I was wrong. You're just _spiteful_." He moved towards her.

Chloe kept her ground so he was in her personal space now, glaring down at her, his height advantage so much more obvious now.

"When I trip on something that isn't there and _break my neck_, remember you could have prevented it." With that, Whitney stormed out of the Torch.

Chloe watched him go, biting her bottom lip, his last words ringing through her mind.

_Well…it couldn't hurt to just check up on it. It'd probably nothing but a couple of off days for him, and he'll never have to know I wasted time on him_.

A knock at the door caused Chloe to break out of her thoughts, and she blinked in surprise to see the Lang, of all people, standing in the doorway.

"Hi." Lana smiled nervously, still dressed in her uniform, obviously having just come from practice. "I'm Lana."

"I know." Chloe nodded, then winced, realizing that that wasn't the friendliest of helloes. "So, how can I help you, Lana?"

"I just saw Whitney tearing out of here----he----I wanted to apologize if he made any problems for you or took out his anger on you." Lana's smile turned into a small frown. "We---we broke up, and it's a mess, and Whitney---I don't want him taking it out on other people who just don't have anything to do with the matter. So, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Chloe waved that off, feeling a little awkward around the cheerleader Clark was so enthralled with. "I'm used to dealing with unlikable footballers, I really didn't notice."

Lana smiled.

An uncomfortable silence fell on them as they each looked away, Chloe waiting for the girl to politely excuse herself.

"I've always wondered what it looks like in here." Lana surprised her by entering the Torch, hands clasped behind her back, looking around. "I read the Torch faithfully, you know, every edition."

"Oh." Apparently Chloe had more readers than she knew. "Uhm, so you like it."

"Yeah, it's very interesting." Lana responded, turning to look at Chloe. "I started reading because of curiosity when I found out that the new transfer student had revived the dead and forgotten Torch school newspaper and basically ran the whole thing herself. Then, well, it was interesting to read---no matter _how_ odd the articles' subject are at times."

That was a compliment.

Chloe was sure of it.

"Well, I have a lot of help, actually." The blonde exclaimed. "I have Clark write up the social pages, and Pete does some things here and there."

"Right." Lana nodded, looking around the Torch.

Chloe waited once more for the brunette to leave.

Lana turned to her. "Uhm, I was wondering, have you ever thought of an advice column?"

"An advice column?"

"Yeah, like a Dear Abby." Lana nodded, brightening up at the topic. "It would help with the popularity in your female readers."

Chloe blinked, thinking it over. "Actually, that's not a bad idea." She turned to the smiling brunette. "How about a Dear Lana?"

Lana seemed surprised yet pleased. "You want _me_ to do the column?"

"Well, it _is_ your idea, and the girls _do_ look up to you." Chloe pointed out. "We could do it every Friday and Mondays like a special, and you get to pick which letters to answer. We could even have a drop off box placed somewhere and make sure that the letters are anonymous so that the girls won't feel self-conscious asking whatever it is they want to ask."

The brunette was nearly _bouncing_. "That---yeah---I'd love that."

"Great." The blonde smiled. "I'll find you when everything's ready."

"Perfect." Lana smiled back.

There was the sound of someone bumping into the door.

The door fell off of its hinges to the ground.

Completely broken.

Both girls turned to see a horrified and embarrassed Clark Kent standing in the scene of the crime.

Chloe let out a little groan.

Due to his rather pathetic crush on Lana (which he'd admitted could be traced to when they were practically in diapers) Clark was a menace to society whenever he was around her. He kept bumping into things and breaking them.

Usually it was hilarious…but _not_ when her door was the newest victim.

Clark looked at them, eyes wide. "Sorry about that---I---it was a really weak door, about to fall off at any minute and I---."

"Are you alright, Clarence?" Lana asked, eyes wide. "Did you hurt yourself? You hit that hard."

Clark gave her a little dreamy expression at the fact that she was talking to him, seeming not to mind that she wasn't exactly calling him by his name. "I'm fine Lana. Thanks for worrying about me."

"Anyone would." Lana replied with a smile. "I mean, you hit that door hard!"

"_There_ you are, Lana!" An exasperated voice called from behind Clark, causing everyone's gaze to turn to see Tina Greer, wearing almost the very same outfit Lana was wearing that day (but didn't have on at the moment due to her donning her cheerleader uniform). "I looked all over for you!"

"Sorry, I---I got caught in Chloe---_with_ Chloe." Lana stammered.

Chloe didn't notice the slip or the stammer coming from the suddenly blushing Lang, green eyes on Tina Greer instead, wondering if this girl could have truly put the evil eye on Whitney Fordman.

Tina's gaze turned to Chloe and she glared hatefully at her.

Chloe blinked as Clark, who was between them, _slipped again_.

At least he didn't break anything this time.

Lana swooped down to help him up, calling him 'Clarence' once more, and he might have drooled a little bit, Chloe really wasn't sure, she was too busy narrowing her eyes at Greer, letting her know that while there wasn't any hostility in her towards the other girl, she wasn't afraid of her and could take her on if she made an issue of whatever it was that'd annoyed her.

"Come on, Lana." Tina grabbed Lana's hand and dragged her out, not giving the girl time to say goodbye.

Clark waved dreamily at the empty doorways as the bell run, signifying the end of the school day.

Chloe shook her head at him. "You're explaining the door to Kwan."

That brought him out of his dream-state, his eyes wide in horror.

Chloe smiled and shook her head.

------------------

That evening as she sat on her porch swing, gazing up at the stars, Chloe was lost in thought, only being broken out of it at the sound of a vehicle stopping in front of her house. She tore her gaze away from the heavens and her eyes widened when she saw the lean body that slipped out gracefully from the pickup, making his way up her steps to stand purposely in front of her, hands shucked in the pockets of his jersey as he finally spoke.

"I refuse to die just because you're spiteful."

"How do you even know where I live?" Chloe asked him, eyes narrowed.

Whitney Fordman looked even more uncomfortable at the question, if possible. "It's a small place, Smallville."

Chloe looked him up and down, a little impressed that he'd come to face her in her own turf _twice_ today. The blonde finally patted the seat next to her and lifted the blanket she'd had covering her lap.

Whitney gave her an odd look before going to sit next to her, wrapping up in the blanket. "So, does this mean you're going to help me?"

"Means I can see _how_ you might think she's given you the evil eye, and if you _do_ die, I don't want your death on my conscience. The guilt might give me wrinkles." Chloe answered, gaze going back to the heavens.

He snorted. "I feel so comforted at this moment."

She laughed softly, still looking up. "Do you know any constellations?"

"Excuse me?"

"Constellations. Groups of stars that form a certain pattern. Pay attention."

He frowned. "I know what constellations are. I just don't know why---?"

"I can never find any." Chloe interrupted him. "No matter how many times people point them out to me all I can see are endless diamonds sparkling against black silk." She pouted. "It irks me."

"Shouldn't we begin our investigation now?" Whitney wanted to know.

"Constellations tonight, research tomorrow." She informed him. "I also will be expecting something in return for this…so be prepared, mentally."

Whitney looked at her oddly. "Why do I feel like I've just sold my soul to the devil?"

"_Please_." She snorted in laughter. "Lu charges _cheap_ compared to me. He only asks for your soul---I might ask for your _dignity_." She then turned to him and gave him a mischievous smile.

Whitney gulped.

Where was Lucifer when you needed him?

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.**

Wanna thank **Mari2Anne, DiscoLemonadeDiva, skauble, Ellyanah, babyshan211, Kit Merlot, Jeremy Shane, Veronica, SriHellgirl25, violent-smurf, ElizabethV, medusaasaphoenix, **and ** Dark-N-Twisty** for reviewing the previous chapter :D

* * *

The next day in school, after spending a good couple of hours arguing with Whitney about constellations, Chloe was a little tired, trying to wake herself up with a good cup of coffee as she walked down the campus by herself. Pete was sick today, and Clark had told her he needed to stay home today to help his father with some things around the farm, so it was only going to be her.

Which sucked.

Coffee in one hand, book in the other, her attention equally divided between both, Chloe didn't notice Whitney or his friends walking towards her. She didn't really have that 'jock awareness' that girls in this school seemed to have. She didn't sense them, didn't notice them unless she wanted an interview, and she didn't really care much about them.

Jocks just weren't her type.

"You ignoring me now, Sullivan?"

She looked up at that voice, raising an eyebrow when she realized she was surrounded by testosterone.

Taking another sip of her coffee, she swallowed and looked around her, realizing that Whitney's friends had formed a loose circle around her. "Why do I suddenly feel like that baby gazelle separated from the rest of the herd, with a bunch of hungry, salivating hyenas about to pounce?"

A couple of the guys looked confused and some looked insulted.

Whitney raised an eyebrow, lips curled, clearly amused. "_Please_ Sullivan, you're no baby gazelle."

Not sure if that was a compliment or not, Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this hustle so early in the morning?"

"Captain told us that you actually agreed to help him." One of the guys to her right announced. "We wanted to tell you that if you need any help, we'll be there."

Chloe blinked.

She and the football jocks weren't on the best of terms due to her blunt way of writing her disapproval about certain aspects of the team, so she was shocked at this.

Someone else handed her a piece of paper.

Different names and phone numbers, written in various handwriting, decorated the paper.

"Here, you have our contact numbers." The boy told her.

With that, the group dispersed, clapping Whitney's back in encouragement as they went.

Chloe watched them go, a little in shock, before looking down at the piece of paper in her hands. "I can't believe it."

"Well, they decided to put aside old grudges if it meant me _not_ messing up each and every game that freak comes to with Lana." Whitney declared, taking her book from her and looking at the cover with a raised eyebrow. "Maldiciones Y Brujeria Nativa."

"Not important anymore." Chloe announced, waving the paper in his face. "Do you _know_ how much _money_ I can make with this?"

Whitney blinked, completely confused by the abrupt change in topics. "With a piece of paper? What? Can you turn it to gold or something?"

"Don't _need_ to, I have all the gold I need right here in awful writing." Chloe laughed, finishing her coffee and dumping the container in a campus garbage can before paying complete attention to the paper and the numbers. "Do you _know_ what the utterly desperate and pathetic female population of Smallville High would _pay_ for the coveted numbers I now have in my possession?"

"My god." Whitney's eyes widened. "You _are_ Satan."

She barked out a surprised laugh at that, turning to look at him, amused. "Now what have I said about confusing me with Lu, Whitney?"

He shook his head at her, a small smile tilting his lips. "You're a weird girl, Sullivan. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Every day." She bragged, folding the paper into a small square and stuffing it in the only safe place she could think of---her bra.

The blonde, completely oblivious to Whitney's suddenly wide-eyed, blushing gaze, grabbed the book from him and opened it wide to the page she'd been reading. "El Mal De Ojo. Es un malestar generalizado que comienza por agitacion, cansacio, mala racha sin motivo justiciado, en todos los asuntos que estamos tratando y va crescendo, acumulando malestares y molestias. Suele ir acompanado de problemas fisicos no habituales. Como se produce esto? Sencillo. A traves de una asimilacion de energia danina transmitida por el media de otra persona, ya sea provocado voluntaria o involuntaria. Puede ocurrir que el provocador desconozca su propio poder y lo mas seguro es no sea consciente de sus propios deseos o envidias ajenas, pero eso no quiere decir que igualmente no sea el causante."

Closing the book as they continued to walk through the campus, she looked up expectantly at him. "So? What do you have to say to that?"

"Only one thing." Whitney announced with all seriousness. "_Huh_?"

She frowned. "What part didn't you understand?"

"How about the _Spanish_ part?"

Chloe was completely confused. "What about the Spanish part?"

"How about me not _knowing_ Spanish?" Whitney shot back like this should be obvious.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "You scored 97 in your last Spanish test."

Whitney looked away.

Her eyes narrowed further. "So either Mister Martinez is giving points to the athletes that they don't deserve, or you're scoring the exam results from another outside source. A student with hacking abilities maybe who discovered a good way of getting money on the side?"

"Jesus, Sullivan." Whitney snapped, shucking his hands angrily in the pocket of his jersey. "Will you use your _annoying_ reporter instincts to _help_ me and _not_ try and think of the next thing to write about in the Torch?"

He looked horribly embarrassed, and was completely on the defense.

Chloe decided that since she was going to make a killing selling the phone numbers, she was going to forget about this—for now.

She was making no promises for after she had this mystery and case over and done with though.

After all, she got bored easy, and a pet project would do her good.

Also, her curiosity was piqued and _killing_ her, wondering if Mr. Martinez or a hacker student were the ones helping the athletes of this school.

"Okay okay, don't get your panties in a jam, Fordman." She snorted, looking up at him, realizing that he refused to look at her. "Basically what the books says is that the Evil Eye usually begins with agitation, fatigue, and a string of unexplainable bad luck."

He sidled her with a sideways glance. "Hole in one. Continue."

Hating it when people starting talking in sports terms and thus lost her completely, Chloe just shook her head and continued. "Well, it says it starts growing more and more in power and problems, and is usually accompanied by odd physical problems."

"Like clumsiness."

"Exactly." She nodded, glad that he was now out of his sulk and paying complete attention to her.

"How is she doing this?" Whitney asked as he stopped walking, forcing Chloe to do the same and give him her full attention.

"Well, according to the book, it's something like due to a transference of negative, harmful energy being transmitted by the person who is doing this to you either knowingly or unknowingly."

"Greer knows _exactly_ what she's doing." Whitney declared, eyes narrowed.

"There's a chance that she mightn't." Chloe cautioned. "The books says that the person doing it mightn't realize his or her own power…_but_ that doesn't mean that he or she doesn't either, and is using it on purpose."

"I don't care what that books says, Tina Greer knows what she's doing and she's doing it on purpose." Whitney made a face. "And we're going to stop her."

She smiled at the conviction in his voice as he turned the power of his baby blues on her.

The bell rung, signaling the beginning of their classes.

"I have History." Whitney finally spoke.

"Ecology." Chloe shrugged. "See you at the Torch during lunch time."

"Can't." Whitney winced. "The whole team has a meeting with the coach, and we'll all be barbequed alive if someone's missing."

"Oh." Chloe nodded, understanding. "Well, you proved last night that you know where I live. After your after-school practice come over to my home and we'll get started." She turned to leave, before turning back around. "And bring your Spanish textbooks."

Whitney frowned. "Huh?"

She grinned at him. "I'm going to tutor you in Spanish." And with that she turned and walked away, to the sound of his sputtered cries behind her.

"How do you even _know_ when I have afterschool practice?" Whitney Fordman finally found his voice as he jogged up after her, apparently forgetting his need to get to his own class before the second bell.

The blonde couldn't help sending him evil look. "I have inside sources _everywhere_."

The Quarterback gulped, looking a little intimidated, before clearing his throat and managing a smooth grin. "_Or_ maybe you're not as immune to my charms as you've pretend to be all this time."

"Maybe you're right." Chloe didn't expect him to freeze up at that, and she turned an amused expression on him as she walked passed, sending him a playful wink. "Whenever I see these supposed _charms_ of yours that you've _obviously_ been hiding, I'll let you know."

And with that she walked away, congratulating herself all the way to Ecology.

* * *

The add about the Dear Lana had gone out in today's paper, and drop boxes had been left in their positions the day before…so Chloe was shocked at how much mail she was receiving already. The blonde sifted through the mail, deciding she was going to need a Lana Box in here somewhere, so the brunette could come in and sift through them herself.

Chloe also hoped that Lana was serious about this and would give it the importance it needed, because a lot of people were hyped up with the thought of _the _Lana Lang answering their problems. Even a couple of _guys_ had written. The letters were anonymous, but you just couldn't hide male scribble.

Since the door Clark had broken yesterday had yet to be repaired, the office was open to all, and Chloe looked up when she heard the clearing of a throat. Her eyes widened when she saw Clark Kent leaning in the doorway, smiling smoothly at her, arms folded over his chest.

"Clark?" She asked, standing and going around her desk to sit on it. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here with you, don't I?" He announced, pushing away from the doorway and stalking towards her with a predator's stance. "I just didn't see you today, and I was wondering if you were ignoring me."

_Ignoring you_? Chloe's eyes narrowed. _But you told me you weren't coming to school today_.

Clark only stopped walking when he was all up in Chloe's space, leaning down and trapping her between the desk and his body. "I missed you, Chloe. You're ignoring me all of a sudden and I don't like it."

Clark's smoothness and words caused warning bells to go off in Chloe's head, and yet she remained calm. "_Please_. You know I'd never ignore you Clark."

"But all of a sudden you're hanging out with _Fordman_, and now you what _Lana_ to work here too?" Clark leaned closer, rubbing his lips caressingly against her cheek, up her jaw-line. "We don't need Lana here. It's a stupid idea. I just want it to be you and me. Tell her you don't want her to do the thing for the Torch."

Funny thing.

She hadn't told Clark about that yet.

Now that this _Clark_ was busy burying his face in the side of her neck, Chloe let her eyes narrow and for her suspicion to show on her face.

There was _no way_ Clark would say anything like that…_or_ act this way.

"And why are you hanging out with Fordman lately anyway?" The male continued. "He's nothing but trouble and a liar. You shouldn't believe anything he says."

"I'm his tutor." Chloe responded, not feeling guilty about lying to Clark because as his hands went to her hips and he stepped _between_ them, she was growing more and more sure that this look alike was _not_ her best friend.

"Really?" Clark sounded relieved as he nibbled his way up her neck.

"Really." Chloe nodded, forcing her face to mirror the cheerleaders as they looked at their jock boyfriends, before pulling away slightly so that she was grinning into the face of the not-Clark, arms around his neck. "Clark…we can't do this here. Remember what happened when we tried this out in the infirmary? How close we were and then…"

She waited.

The real Clark would _know_ that this was _not_ how their friendship was…and that they had _never_ done anything in the infirmary except break in once or twice to investigate an accusation that the school nurse was selling special meteor-based drugs to the students.

Clark chuckled deep in his throat. "Yeah, and that bitch nearly caught us on the sickbed."

_Gotcha you phony_.

Chloe smirked at him, sure that he thought she was just reliving the moment, and _not_ gloating on having found him out so _easily_.

"So let's tell Lana not to waste her time here." 'Clark' announced, nibbling on her neck once more.

Obviously Lana was the reason behind all of this.

Then again, wasn't she _usually_ when it had to do with meteor freaks?

There was the sound of something falling in the doorway.

Both of them turned there to see Whitney Fordman in the doorway, having dropped his ball, looking at them oddly.

The Clark double pulled away with a sneer in the footballer's direction before turning to Chloe and giving her a kiss. "I'm going to go now." And with that, the imposter walked out, bumping harshly into Whitney as he left.

Whitney watched him go, eyes narrowed, before turning on Chloe. "What the---?"

She frowned at him, interrupting. "I thought you had a meeting with the coach."

"It let out early so I thought I would---_why_ didn't you tell me that you and _Kent_ had a thing going on between you?"

"Because we _don't_."

He snorted, sneer on his face. "It sure didn't seem like that when I walked in on you and you had that guy giving you a _tongue bath_!"

"He wasn't giving me a---!" Chloe's eyes widened.

"Then what the _hell_ was he doing with his mouth against your skin?" Whitney snapped.

"That's none of your business, Fordman!"

Whitney opened his mouth, eyes narrowed to tiny slits in anger.

Chloe raised her hand, stopping him. "Is he gone?"

Obviously confused, anger deflating immediately, Whitney turned to look in the direction Clark had left before nodding. "Yeah. Gone. Why?" His sneer returned. "Did he forget to lick somewhere in need of cleaning?"

"Just shut up and keep a lookout for me." Chloe leaned backwards on the desk and pulled out her cellular from her bag, dialing a number and pressing the speaker button so Whitney could hear it too.

"_Hey Chloe!_" Clark answered brightly, his father's laughter and the sounds of cows in the background. "What's up?"

"Um, nothing Clark, how's the work with your dad coming along?" She asked, seeing Whitney's eyes widen as he suddenly understood.

"_Great. I gotta go though. See you later?_"

"Sure." Chloe smiled, hanging up.

"If Clark's at _home_…" Whitney entered, collapsing on the seat next to Chloe, eyes wide.

"Remember how you said that people were getting offended by you because they said you'd done things or said things you never did?" Chloe reminded him.

Whitney's eyes widened even more as he suddenly got the whole scenario. "Oh fuck_ me_!"

Chloe nodded, frowning at the doorway, still sitting on the edge of her desk. "Apparently this Evil Eye thing just got a little more complicated."

* * *

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.

Wanna thank **medusaasaphoenix, Jeremy Shane, Kit Merlot, theshortemberlight, vamp1987, violent-smurf, Winter's Empire, Ellyanah, Christy, Veronica, SriHellgirl25, SheDevilJen, Idle Writer of Crack, renaid, Mari2Anne, babyshan211, TheAttentionJustEncouragesHer, Carol Alves **and **tutskai** for reviewing the previous chapter :D

Written for my Paranormal25 150 Prompt Table. Prompt of the day #69: Evil Eye

Chloe Sullivan/Whitney Fordman set in AU Season 1.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be helping me with my _curse_ instead of my Spanish?" Whitney complained, putting down the Spanish textbook later that night. He looked up from where he was lying on his back on the floor of Chloe's living room, the carpet incredibly comfortable.

"I _am_." Chloe didn't even bother looking up from the book she was reading. "What's 'I want Ice Cream'?"

"Yo quiero helado." Whitney monotoned, rolling his eyes and resting his hands behind his back, looking up the ceiling.

"We are going to win."

"Vamos a ganar." Whitney sighed, rolling over on his stomach to look at her instead of the ceiling. "Do I _have_ to be doing this? I'd much rather help you research what to do with the evil eye thingy."

"You're helping yourself get an A you _deserve_. You leave the evil eye stuff to me." Chloe turned the page. "Hmmm. There's apparently some sort of charm that will repel the power of the evil eye."

He grinned at that. "Really? That's great! Let's go get it!"

"Calm down Barbie," Chloe motioned him down. "We can't find it here in Smallville. And unless you're going to borrow your dad's _truck_ or something, you'll have to wait until I go to Metropolis with dad."

"One: Why can't I be _Ken_?" Whitney sat up, making up his nose in displeasure. "And _Two_, _yeah_, I'll borrow the truck, I have it now anyway and it's not like dad uses it. He doesn't go out anywhere. Let's go to Metropolis now. We can get something to eat while we're there."

Closing the book, Chloe gave him an amused smirk. "Careful Fordman, that sounds like a _date_." She got up with laughter, oblivious to the look on Whitney's face. "I'm going to change my clothes and in the meantime you tell your dad that you're taking the truck to Metropolis."

"Sure." Whitney got up and went to use the phone.

Upstairs Chloe went to her computer and checked her website, grinning as she saw the online auction still going on. She'd put out word that she had the numbers of the main heartthrobs in Smallville High, and that the person who bid the highest for each man would get the coveted phone number.

_Sure_, that was illegal as _hell_, but what was life without a little brush with the dark side?

Changing into more trendy clothes, Chloe ran her fingers through her hair, applied lip gloss, and grabbed her bag as she hopped back down the stairs.

Whitney turned at the sound of her descending and stopped, eyes wide as he looked up at her.

"Stop it, you're making me self-conscious." Chloe laughed, gliding down the stairs and passing him, slapping her handbag against his chest and leaving him to hold it and as she walked passed him into the living room. "So, I'm thinking, we should go and check out the occult shops in Metropolis and then we can get something to eat and just to show me how much you're grateful for how I'm helping you, you can take me to a movie. You paying for everything, of course."

"Of course."

Not hearing sarcasm, Chloe tore the page out of the book and turned to look at him in confusion. She would have thought that he would be complaining for having to pay for her. "Okay." She gave him a smile, deciding to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Where do you want to eat?" Whitney asked, holding her bag awkwardly, motioning with his head to the door.

"I don't know. Depends on how hungry we are after the occult shops." Chloe decided, breezing past him and grabbing onto his jersey on the way out, pulling him along behind him.

He chuckled at this treatment, shaking his head and letting her drag him out of the house towards the old pickup he loved so very much despite the fact that it could do with a good paintjob.

Not waiting for him to open the door for her, like Lana would, Chloe opened _his_ door on the way to her side of the truck, opening her own and getting inside.

Whitney Fordman didn't know what to make of Chloe Sullivan.

That much was obvious as he got in and started the engine. "So. How are we going to find these occult stores you've been talking about?"

"Well, my plan is to go to the ones I usually frequent, and if we can't find the charm there, then we go to the others I've been thinking of checking out."

He backed out of her driveway and onto the street. "You _frequent_ occult stores?"

She sent him a grin.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he shifted gear.

Despite the fact that they really didn't know each other, they didn't run out of things to talk about. It was actually kinda fun. Chloe couldn't think of when she'd had this much fun with a guy she didn't think of as a brother.

It was kinda…exhilarating.

They laughed the whole way to Metropolis, and Whitney was surprisingly enough mesmerized by the occult stores she took him to. He sneered at one or two things, but then he forgot he was supposed to be annoying and just got lost in the whole scene, asking Chloe what this or that was for, and if they really worked.

It was fun to have someone _really _listen to her as she talked about these things with.

Pete and Clark only listened to her because she was their best friend and because at the time it was keeping their asses safe with her endless knowledge of all _weird_, but Whitney was listening to her because he was _interested_ in what she was saying.

She really liked the feeling.

In the end they got the charm for Whitney, and a couple of other protective symbols as well, just in case.

By the time they'd finished buying the things they'd come from, it was dark outside and they were hungry.

A diner close by became their next stop, as they went over what they'd bought and what it was supposed to help with, and somehow the conversation shifted.

"So, how did you become so fascinated in these kinda stuff?" Whitney asked, putting on his protective charm the same time Chloe fingered her on Pentacle. "What first caught your eye and made you say 'hey, I wanna know more about this'?"

"Well, I don't know. Ever since I moved to Smallville weird things were happening and people were turning a blind eye to it pretending they couldn't see what was going on. It frustrated me and I wanted to know why this was happening, _how_ it was happening, and why people just were happier pretending it never happened."

"I think people are just scared." Whitney surprised her by admitting, taking a bite out of a French fry. "I mean, if they had to admit that things like this were going on, they'd have to admit that maybe they themselves are not _normal_. And that is the biggest fear of all."

Chloe looked him over in surprise. "You're surprisingly deep, you know that, Fordman?"

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "What? You thought that just because I'm gorgeous and the head of the football team that I was _shallow_?"

"Yeah." Chloe replied with no shame as she sipped her milkshake.

"Maybe that makes _you_ the shallow one." He told her seriously, giving her a look she just couldn't understand.

The smile drained from Chloe's face as she looked into his baby blues. "Maybe you're right, Fordman."

They were silent, looking at each other.

Somehow…

Somehow Chloe knew that what was happening right now was important. She just couldn't figure out _how_.

The sound of the bell jingling over the entrance door caused Chloe to jump and look away, missing the look of disappointment on that handsome face as she refused to look at him, instead sipping her shake, confused, not sure what had just happened and _why_ her heart was beating so rapidly.

"So…how about that movie?" Whitney suddenly asked, voice odd.

She didn't know if that was such a good idea.

Not with her heart still racing so rapidly.

"Uhm," she still couldn't look at him. "I don't---."

"They're playing Love Spelt Backwards is Still Love." Whitney interjected quickly. "Don't all the girls in our school want to see that movie?"

Chloe made a face. "I've never even heard of it."

"Oh." Whitney seemed to slump, chewing on his fry despondently.

Chloe didn't like the change.

Why did it even _matter_ to her?

"I heard they're playing Punch Face though." Chloe replied, knowing that this was probably another of those times when Pete and Clark tried to remind her she was a _girl_ and shouldn't be so psyched about all the many action movies she enjoyed.

Men wanted woman who acted like _women_…or so Clark and Pete kept telling her.

Whitney looked up at Chloe in surprise. "You want to see Punch Face?"

"Yeah?"

His face split in a huge grin. "No way, me too! The commercial looked great."

"Especially the part with him fighting on the China Wall!"

"Exactly!"

They grinned at each other.

And somehow things weren't uncomfortable anymore.

The duo went to the cinema, Whitney buying the tickets to the show, which would be in twenty minutes. Chloe and he looked at the poster for the movie, sharing laughs and wondering if the movie would live up to their expectations or if it would suck.

"_Chloe_? _Whitney_?"

They turned at the sound, eyes widening to see Lana Lang standing there, with Tina Greer a little behind her, wearing an outfit almost identical to Lana's---like she was known to do.

"Lana." Whitney blinked. "_Tina_."

Tina looked between Chloe and Whitney in interest.

"Um, what are you two doing here?" Lana asked, looking between them nervously.

"We're going to see Face Punch." Chloe answered, noticing Tina's small smile at that answer. "What about you two?"

"We're watching Love Spelt Backwards Is Still Love." Tina announced, speaking for the first time since they'd met up. "Lana's been wanting to see it ever since we first saw the commercials, right, Lana?"

"Uhm, yeah." Lana nodded. "I also wanted to see Face Punch though. Why don't we all go see it together? We haven't gotten our tickets yet."

Tina frowned. "Since when do you want to see _Face Punch_? You can't _stand_ fight scenes. They scare you."

"They don't." Lana whispered, looking embarrassed. "I just don't have much experience with them…and I like watching them in a larger group."

Tina turned and gave Whitney and Chloe a glare.

Whitney didn't trip.

Neither did Chloe.

Both grinned at each other, fingering their protection charms.

Tina frowned in confusion.

Lana frowned as she watched them grinning at each other. "Tina, let's get our tickets."

"Sure." Tina grabbed Lana and turned to leave with a sulk.

"They're _working_!" Whitney grabbed Chloe and lifted her in excitement, twirling her around and laughing.

Chloe squealed, surprised. She hung unto Whitney and laughed when he finally put her down, understanding how excited he was.

His hands still on her waist, Whitney smiled down at her.

Chloe smiled up at him.

Something changed in his eyes, his smile changing.

And once again, Chloe's heart was racing.

"We're back!" Lana exclaimed, appearing next to them once more.

Chloe broke away from Whitney, blushing, eyes wide, not even needing to look at Tina to see her grinning broadly.

Whitney let out a sigh and then smiled warily at Lana. "Are you guys getting food too? Some drinks maybe?"

"I'm sending him to get his and mine since he's my slave." Chloe announced.

"Slave." Lana echoed the word.

"Yeah, slave." Chloe nodded. "He's working off my Spanish tutoring."

Lana made a face. "But doesn't Whitney always get good grades in Spanish?"

"_Now_ we know _why_." Tina announced suggestively.

Lana looked away. "Tina, why don't you get us our popcorn?"

Tina made a face, looking between Lana and Chloe. "Okay." She gave Whitney a raised eyebrow before turning and storming to the concession stand.

'_Save me'_ Whitney mouthed to Chloe behind Lana's back.

Chloe laughed, going to him and surprising him by stepping up on her tip toes and throwing her arms around his neck, drawing herself into his body.

Whitney went stiff, before his arms went around her waist and pulled her closer, his heart racing against her breast.

Chloe brought her mouth to Whitney's ear, lips brushing against it as she spoke in a soft whisper. "_You'll be safe as long as it looks like we're on a date_."

He stiffened a moment before his hands traveled down to her hips. "_Might as well take advantage of this moment."_

She laughed. "_Behave_." And with that she pulled away, waving him away. "Now go get me my popcorn."

"Gees. You're such a _taskmaster_." And yet the grin on Whitney's face was _face-splitting_ as he turned and jogged towards the concession stand, not tripping _once_.

* * *

**Hate it? Love it? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

Written for my Paranormal25 150. Prompt of the day #69: Evil Eye

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Ever since they'd had that semi date, and worn the amulets, nothing had happened to Whitney. He went about his daily life, his practices and the games they'd played against rivals schools taking up his time, while evenings at the Torch took up Chloe's. Plus, Dear Lana was a bigger hit than anyone could have expected, transforming the column from a Monday and Friday Special to a daily thing, since the Dear Lana Boxes situated all around the school (with Principal Kwan's permission) were always full. Chloe was surprised by how much she actually like the dark haired girl. The more time they spent together after school, her polishing the next day's edition and Lana going over the anonymous letters she received asking for love advice, the more she decided that they could end up being good friends. That is, if Tina Greer weren't so persistent to scare off anyone around Lana.

Thankfully, though, Tina had been sick today and hadn't come to school.

"Chloe?" Lana looked up from the pile of letters she'd been sifting through.

"Huh?" The blonde asked, chewing on a red marker, extensively editing Pete's many grammatical errors.

"I, uh, Whitney hasn't been coming to see you lately." The pretty half oriental was obviously trying to go for casual, but the interest was obvious in her hazel eyes. "Are you two not together anymore?"

"Together?" Chloe finally looked up, a little confused. "I was never with Fordman." She then remembered about the 'date' and blinked. "Oh. Uh. You know. This is high school. You hook up and break up like...things that hook up and break up."

Lana sat a little straighter in her seat. "So you broke up."

Chloe felt a little irritation at the eagerness in that voice.

_Lana_ had been the one to dump _Whitney_ for crying out loud!

"I guess you can say that." The blonde replied, returning her attention to Pete's article, wondering how it was that he managed to pass English. "Though it was never anything serious so there's no bad blood between us or anything."

"Oh." Lana's gaze lowered. "I kinda wish I could say the same, but after the way he behaved I couldn't be with him anymore, and I had to break up with him."

Chloe frowned, not having heard this from Whitney. "How did he behave?"

Lana gulped. "It's confusing, you know? I mean, he was being so very gentlemanlike about it, he was the _only_ guy I'd been with that hadn't tried to do anything with me, in fact, he didn't even seem all that _interested_, you know? And for me, for me that was perfect at the time because I wasn't sure about..." Her gaze rose to Chloe for a second before she blushed and looked down. "I wasn't sure about a _lot_ of stuff. So it was almost like two friends hanging out."

Chloe waited for her to continue.

"And then, out of the blue, one day he just started trying to force me to...you know. I mean, not like _rape_, but like 'I'm a man, I have needs. If you want someone sensitive to your needs get yourself your own girlfriend'. " Lana was visibly bothered by the memory. "I left and then broke up with him the next day saying I needed time to think some things through."

The blonde blinked.

Suddenly Lana's dumping Whitney was making sense.

But that wasn't like Whitney at all.

Chloe wasn't going to fool herself into thinking she knew the quarterback in and out, but she knew him enough to know that he wouldn't try to force Lana or anyone to do something they obviously didn't want to. So obviously, this doppleganger was behind it.

The same one that'd pretended to be Clark for _her_.

And the person was obsessed with Lana Lang.

Chloe sighed.

Why wasn't she surprised?

"-I always thought you were cool." Apparently Lana had changed topics while Chloe was thinking, a small blush tinting her cheeks as she pulled a strand of dark hair out of her face. "I have to admit, I was kinda jealous of Pete and Clark. I wanted to be close to you as well. You just have this _air_ that makes people wonder about you. Even Whitney said so when we were going out."

Chloe looked up at that. "Whitney said that about me?"

Lana's face closed up slightly. "Yes, well..."

Chloe cleared her throat and looked down, reminding herself that Whitney was this girl's ex.

Lana took in a deep breath. "Wanna hang out this weekend?"

The blonde blinked, not having expected that. "Hang out?"

"Y-yeah." Lana smiled shakily. "We could, uh, go to the movies, or, uh, go to the fair coming to town."

Having forgotten about the fair, Chloe grinned. "You know what? That sounds like fun."

Lana's face lit up. "Great! That's-yeah-great."

There was a knock on the door and they turned in time to see it opening, revealing Whitney in the doorway, holding a pigskin. "Oh, hey Lana." He cleared his throat awkwardly before turning his attention on Chloe. "Hey Sullivan."

"Fordman!" She exclaimed, surprised to see him. "What can I help you with?"

"Uh, can we talk outside?" Whitney asked.

"No need." Lana stood. "I'm going now."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Chloe smiled.

"You too." Lana ducked her head with a grin before escaping the room.

Whitney slid in as she went out, and closed the door. He stood there for a couple of minutes, eyes on the pigskin, before clearing his throat and looking at her. "Uh. Hi."

"Hey." She leaned back, curious as to why he was acting so weirdly. "Did someone put you up to some sort of dare?" She smirked. "Are the boys pissed because I sold their telephone numbers?"

"No, on both accounts." Whitney replied, going to sit in the chair Lana had just vacated. "They're actually more popular than ever now and it's helped with their ego. You're probably one of their favorite people in the world right about now."

"Go figure." She snorted in amusement, tapping the red ink pen against the table. "Spit it out Barbie. What's got your panties in a jumble _this_ time?"

He smirked, the awkwardness draining out of him almost instantly. "Okay, I thought we were clear that I'm _Ken_ not _Barbie_. And second of all, it's _boxers_."

"You like to feel the breeze between your thighs." She blinked, surprised. "With a game like football I would have thought you preferred briefs, so you could keep everything from dangling and bouncing around so vulnerably."

He looked at her in embarrassed horror. "Sullivan. From what _planet_ were you beamed down from as an infant?"

"From I-Don't-Give-A-Shit-About-Your-Inability-To-Take-The Truth." She grinned mischievously.

"Ah, it makes sense now." He announced as if this were some big revelation as he sat down on the seat Lana had vacated. "So, Sully, how have you been without your favorite footballer around?"

"Pete's been around." Chloe grinned.

Whitney winced. "Ouch Sullivan. Don't tread so harshly on a teenaged male's ego."

"If it wasn't so _big_ I wouldn't have to tiptoe around it." She countered, the enjoyment of this banter obvious on her face.

He grinned, dimples deep in his cheeks.

Chloe smiled at him.

Something...something was happening here.

And it felt a _lot_ like attraction.

That revelation caused her smile to drain almost instantly as she looked down with a concerned frown, clearing her throat.

There was _no way_ that she was attracted to Barbie!

No way _possible_!

Plus, he was in love with Lana and Lana only left him because of the doppleganger's actions, not Whitney.

Right.

The doppleganger.

She took in a deep breath.

She needed to tell Whitney what she'd just learnt.

But she didn't want to.

She _really_ didn't.

"You okay, Chlo?"

She took in a deep breath and nodded, looking up at him and hoping the troubling thoughts weren't visible on her face. "I was talking to Lana before you came and I need to ask you something."

His face went serious as well. "Shoot."

"Did you _ever_ try to force her to have sex with you?"

Horror blanched his face white. "I would _never_-!"

"I knew it." She interrupted, nodding. "The doppleganger pretended to be you to make Lana break up with you."

Whitney blinked. "If I wasn't sitting down already, I'd be collapsing in this seat." He then frowned, leaning forwards. "Are we thinking there's another person out there out to sabotage anyone getting near to Lana?" He smirked. "We should just set up a match to the death between Evil Eye Person and Doppleganger Person."

Chloe raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That's actually a _really_ good idea, Fordman." She paused. "Minus the 'to the death' part."

He grinned. "Killjoy."

"You know I live to make your life boring." She rolled her eyes. "So was there any reason in particular for why you came here? Because I have to finish this editing before I leave here."

He cleared his throat, gaze falling to the pigskin. "Uhm, yeah. I, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the fair this weekend." He looked up, saw her surprised expression, and then quickly looked down, clearing his throat once more. "I mean, we need to keep up the act, you know, so that the people in suspect don't try to hurt either of us, you know."

"Oh." She wondered at the stab of disappointment. "I can't. I already said I'd go with someone else."

His gaze shot up, narrowed. "Did Ricky ask you?"

She blinked, confused. "The Center?"

"He _did_, didn't he?" Whitney stood, grip on the pigskin tight.

"No! He didn't." Chloe leaned forwards. "Is he _interested_ in asking me to the fair?"

"Are you interested in _him_ inviting you?" Whitney countered.

"Why wouldn't I? He's good looking." Chloe chuckled at the scandalized expression on Whitney's face. "And in the past he was the _only one_ not to give me shit from the football team." Her gaze went to Pete's article and she began to correct it on instinct, finishing up the last paragraph. "But _no_, I"m not going with Ricky. I'm going with Lana."

Whitney froze, blinking. "_Lana_?"

Chloe nodded, finishing and standing. "Yep. She needs more friends than just _Greer_ you know."

"Oh. Friends."

The blonde was confused by his expression. "What was _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Whitney shook his head. "Uh, but, you know, she intruded on _our_ date, so I think turnaround is fair."

"Excuse me?" If he wanted to spend time with Lana he should be brave enough to go to the brunette and try for another chance, _not_ use Chloe.

"Greer will probably be there anyway." He replied loftily. "I'm doing you a favor, making sure you're not stuck as her sole target." He cleared his throat and looked around. "And anyway, I don't think its safe for you to be alone with Greer. Okay?"

Chloe leaned her hip against the desk, unable to believe it. "Are you being _protective_, Fordman?"

"Oh fuck off, Sullivan." He grumbled, unable to look at her.

She bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling. "You _are_." The tiny blonde shook her head. "It's annoying, and yet strangely endearing."

He paused, before sending her a curious look. "Is that a good thing?"

"Sometimes." She replied vaguely. "Now _go_ I need to finish putting the Torch to bed."

"Okay." He nodded, backing away to the door. "See you tomorrow."

And with that Whitney was gone.

Chloe watched the door long after he'd gone, a small smile on her face.

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Review?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Its because of you that this update took SO MUCH LESS TIME to come out than the last one! :)

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The festival was a blast so far, and Chloe was enjoying Lana's company to a surprising degree. With Tina still sick (and Lana had admitted the girl would have still come to the festival if her mother hadn't forced her to stay home) and with Whitney keeping an eye on them from the distance with his friends now that he was sure Tina wasn't around (and thus Chloe didn't need his 'protection') Chloe and Lana could spend more time together in a relaxing way. Lana's popularity had grown with the Dear Lana boxes, and a couple of students had stopped her to thank her for the advice she'd given to the anonymous letters, and how it'd helped them in their problems.

"I can't believe how many people have come up to me today." Lana shook her head, looking a little shocked. "I mean, we get a lot of letters in the Dear Lana boxes...but _still_."

Chloe snorted. "I don't know why you're so surprised. You've _always_ been heinously popular."

Lana laughed. "You make it sound so awful!"

"I'm just _saying_." Chloe rolled her eyes, pinching off some of her cotton candy and eating it.

Lana smiled and shook her head.

A cheer went up from the football team, and the girls turned to see Whitney pumping the air with his fist in victory as he put down the gun and accepted a large, fluffy, white teddy bear.

He looked ridiculous holding it.

Snickering, Chloe turned away, eyeing Clark where he and Pete were trying their luck at one of the other stands.

"Sullivan!"

Turning at the sound of her name, Chloe blinked when she realized Whitney had jogged over towards her, holding the quite cute bear. "Fordman."

"Lana." Whitney smiled at the brunette.

"Whitney." Lana nodded, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Chloe's cotton candy before stuffing it into her mouth awkwardly.

Chloe looked between them and frowned, realizing that while she and Whitney called each other by their surnames, him and Lana...

The blonde cleared her throat and forced a smile on her face. "So, Mr. Quarterback. To what do we owe the honor of your magnanimous visit?"

"I need you to hold this for me." Whitney cleared his throat and held out the bear towards Chloe, not looking at her for some odd reason.

She raised an eyebrow. "What am I? You're _slave_?"

A muscle ticked in Whitney's cheek. "Yes, you _are_. Just _take_ the bear."

"Why would I hold your bear for you?" Chloe wanted to know, glaring slightly at him. "If you didn't want to drag that thing around you shouldn't have accepted it."

Lana looked between them, eyes widening.

"_Sullivan_." Whitney nearly growled. "Why do you always have to make everything so damned _difficult_?"

Green eyes widened, surprised at the darkness in his voice.

She'd pissed him off.

She'd pissed him off _badly_.

But why?

Just because she refused to lug around his stuff while he enjoyed himself?

"Don't be so _PMS-y_ Fordman." Chloe scoffed, yanking the bear from him and wrapping an arm around its fluffy stomach. "But just so you know, if I have to carry this oaf around you mightn't get it back by the end of the day."

Instead of scowling at her, like she'd been expected, Whitney grinned brightly, dimples going deep into his cheeks. "I think I can live with that."

Her cheeks were hot and she didn't exactly know _why_.

Cheers of victory could be heard from the football team.

Chloe's gaze went to them on instinct, and was surprised to find that they hadn't been playing anything at all, but instead had been watching the exchange between her and Whitney.

And that confused her.

Was her lugging this thing around _that_ big of a deal?

Raising her eyebrow, she turned to comment on this when she noticed something.

The blonde paused, blinking.

"Fordman?"

"Yeah?" He grinned at her, scratching the back of his head.

"Are you..._blushing_?" Chloe tilted her head to the side, not even noticing when Lana stole the whole stick of cotton candy from her, beginning to stuff herself with it in earnest.

Whitney's eyes widened, and the slight pink on his cheeks darkened. "Me? _Blush_? Please!" He scoffed, clearing his throat, unable to look at her at all. "I don't _blush_. And _why would_ I blush? I mean, _come on_ Sullivan."

"_Right_." The young reporter in training nodded slowly. "Of course."

"Well, I, uh, you know. I have to go." Whitney nodded before going back to where his teammates were grinning like devils.

Chloe shook her head, turning to Lana. "Men. They're just so _weird_."

Lana finished the last bit of cotton candy.

Chloe immediately felt guilty.

She kept forgetting that Lana had had something with Whitney, and that seeing Chloe being friends with him must hurt her.

No matter how...slightly...jealous (yes, she could admit that) Chloe felt with Lana when it came to Whitney, Chloe could understand that Lana had had Whitney and that they'd broken up because of someone else's machinations. They were kinda like Othello and Desdemona...without the murder, of course.

Chloe sighed.

First she'd liked Clark and he'd liked Lana.

Now she was admitting to having an attraction for Whitney...and once again there was Lana.

What was she going to have to do to get someone to fall in love with _her_?

Dye her hair brown?

"It's a pretty bear." Lana placed the cotton candy stick in a near trash bin, her bubbly happiness from before completely gone.

Sighing as she watched the change in the girl, and able to understand seeing the person you liked paying attention to someone else, Chloe wrapped an arm around Lana's shoulders and gave her a little squeeze.

Lana went still, eyes widening, a soft blush appearing on her cheeks.

"You okay?" Chloe asked.

"Feeling better." Lana nodded, ducking her head slightly as she smiled genuinely.

"Good." Smiling, Chloe gave her shoulders another squeeze before letting go and wrapping both arms around the bear. "So, what do we do now?"

Lana looked up at her and smiled prettily. "Whatever you want."

Not noticing the wary looks sent their way, the girls continued on.

They briefly spent time with Clark and Pete (Chloe feeling amused at how nervous and happy Clark was around Lana, who had thankfully remembered his name this time), and Chloe was happy to see that Lana was getting along quite well with the two boys. The tiny brunette had known Pete before since he played football, and so it'd helped make the time less awkward. Still, when Clark invited them to continue going spending the rest of the day with them at the fair, Lana had declined politely with a smile that'd had the boys just sighing happily and agreeing to everything she wanted.

Chloe needed to ask her how she _did_ that.

Soon after Lana and Chloe had gone back on their way, playing games and enjoying themselves and Chloe was glad that she'd accepted to come out here with the girl. She didn't really have any female friends, and so she hadn't known what it meant to go out with another girl. She'd been missing out on a lot. There were some things only another girl could appreciate.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Chloe announced, turning to Lana. "Can you hold Brutus?"

"Brutus?" Lana asked, amused, as she received the bear.

"He's going to betray Caesar by the end of the day and go home with me." Chloe explained.

For a moment Lana just blinked, and then she laughed, hugging the bear close. "Only _you_, Chloe."

Winking, Chloe laughed as she jogged towards the bathrooms and entered, looking up at the light that was flickering above her. Shaking her head, she made her nose up at the strong stench of urine in the place, and walked towards the third stall, as was usually her custom. Pushing up the lid with her shoe, she squatted over the toilet and did her necessities, before wiping up and flushing.

Exiting the stall she paused when she found Lana standing in front of the closed bathroom door.

"Hey! You surprised me! Didn't hear you coming in." The blonde laughed, going to the sinks, washing her hands. "Where's Brutus?"

Lana walked towards her, silent, intense.

Something felt wrong, and Chloe frowned, turning off the faucet, turning to face the girl. "Lana?"

"Stay _away_ from me." She hissed, pushing Chloe back harshly, causing her to stumble. "_Stay AWAY from me_!"

Flinging her hands out to balance herself, Chloe felt fear begin to rise up in her throat. "You mean stay away from _Lana_."

Hazel eyes narrowed. "I _am_ Lana."

Chloe sneered to cover her fear. "You're _not_ Lana. Just like you weren't _Clark_..._or_ Whitney."

Those eyes flashed furiously. "You think you're _so_ intelligent, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, I kinda rock." Chloe back to began away as the shapeshifter stepped towards her. "At least I like myself enough that I don't have to keep changing into _other people_."

The impersonator snarled, rushing her until she'd backed into the wall and Lana's face was snarling viciously at her, grabbing at her throat with near inhuman strength. Those small hands squeezed tightly, cutting off Chloe's air supply.

Chloe gasped for breath, clawing at those hands.

"_Hey_."

The impersonator turned her head and then screamed, dropping Chloe, when something was sprayed into her eyes.

The _real_ Lana stood behind her, a bottle of mace in her hands.

"Fuck!" The impersonator screamed, clawing at her eyes before reaching for Lana and slamming her into one of the stall's doors. "Don't _you_ do this!"

Lana went down hard, mace flinging out of her hand.

Chloe tried to sit up from where she'd crumpled to the ground, but she was still so _dizzy_ and disoriented from the lack of oxygen.

The impersonator glared down at Lana, clenching her fists.

Lana looked up at the mirror image of herself, eyes showing fear yet anger all at the same time.

The impersonator took a step towards Lana.

Lana narrowed her eyes.

The impersonator slipped on _something_ and fell backwards. "Fuck!"

Chloe's eyes widened in shock.

So did Lana's.

The impersonator pushed herself to her feet once more. "You're coming with me!" She hissed to Lana.

Lana's eyes narrowed as she looked away.

The impersonator tripped over her on feet and went down.

_Again_.

Chloe's mouth opened slightly.

She couldn't believe it.

Screaming in fury, the impersonator stumbled to her feet before tearing out of the bathroom.

Lana just sat with her back against the stall's door. "What-what just _happened_? I saw _myself_ come in here after you so I left Brutus and I-I-what _was_ that?"

"Oh my god." Chloe whispered, unable to keep the snort of laughter in her throat. "Tina isn't the one with the Evil Eye. It's _you_."

"_Huh_?" Lana turned to Chloe, confused. "What are you-are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

Chloe just laughed, leaning her head back against the wall, knowing she probably looked insane right about now. "And you genuinely have no idea what I'm talking about." She closed her eyes, still laughing. "Fordman's _never_ going to believe this."

"Believe..._what_?" Lana asked, worried as she stumbled to her feet and went to Chloe, going to sit down next to her. "Are you okay, Chloe? Who was that? Why did she look like me? What's this _Evil Eye_ thing?"

Chloe, head still leaning against the wall, turned her head so she could look into Lana's face. "We _really_ need to have a talk."

Lana nodded, clutching at her meteor rock necklace in worry. "Of course."

Chloe smiled.

At least _one_ mystery had been solved.

Though..._damn_.

She hadn't seen this coming.

Shaking her head Chloe got shakily to her feet and offered her hand down to Lana. "Come on, we need to find Fordman."

"What does Whitney have to do with all of this?" Lana asked curiously, placing her hand in Chloe's, fingers clasping around hers as the blonde pulled her up. She then gave a gasp when Chloe pulled her into a tight hug. "_Chloe_?"

"Thank you." Chloe smiled, hugging the girl close. "You didn't know what was going on, but you came to help me anyway."

Lana hesitated a second before her arms went around Chloe. "I-of course I'd-uh-you're welcome."

Chloe pulled back and smiled at her. "Come on, we _need_ to find Fordman."

Grabbing Lana's hand, the blonde pulled her out of the bathroom after her.

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**Did ANYONE see that coming?**

**Review and let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Do not own Smallville.**

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"Let me get this straight." Whitney sat on the armrest of the sofa, looking down at the two girls sitting there, one with ugly bruises on her neck and the other with a large bump on the back of her head. "Lana is the one with the Evil Eye."

Lana made up her face as she fingered her meteorite necklace. "I don't like that term. Can we call it something else?"

Chloe chuckled and then winced, just the act of swallowing painful to her bruised throat.

Whitney's eyes narrowed as zoomed on her. "We should take you to get checked, Sullivan. That _fuck_ could have really injured you."

"I'm fine." Chloe winced at the scratchy, ugly sound that was her voice.

"Here, take another." Whitney held out a pack for her.

"I don't need-."

Whitney shook his head, reached into the pack and unwrapped one of the throat lozenges, holding it between his fingers and glaring at her threateningly. "Don't make me have Lana sit on you while I pry your mouth open."

"I don't _need_-." Chloe tried once more.

"I'll do it." Lana, surprisingly enough, backed up Whitney's threats with her narrowed eyes. "I'll sit on you."

Chloe pouted, looking on either side of her before sighing and opening her mouth.

Whitney slipped the lozenge into her mouth with an amused smile before winking to Lana.

Lana smiled and then winked back.

Chloe looked between them and glared. "You're going to start ganging up on me in the future, aren't you?"

"Of course." They announced.

She groaned...but then that hurt her throat so she just continued sucking on the lozenge, which was admittedly helping her sore throat a little.

"So. Let's get back to the topic while my parents are out." Whitney announced, closing up the bag of lozenges. When Chloe and Lana had found him at the fair he'd had a moment of violent fury at the bruises already forming on Chloe's throat, but the reporter had grabbed his ear and dragged the jock to his truck before he could do something stupid and make a scene. They'd gone to Whitney's house, and he'd tended to them the best he could while listening to their story. "Lana is...has the _ability_...and so making the person with the _ability_ and the shapeshifter fight to the death is definitely out of the equation."

Lana's eyes widened in horror.

"I was never for the match to the death idea." Chloe assured her hoarsely.

Whitney frowned, reaching over to run the tips of his fingers gently over the darkened marks on Chloe's throat. "I'm going to kill Greer when I see her."

Chloe couldn't hold back the shiver that raced down her body at the touch. "We're not sure it's Tina."

"Oh come _on_ Sullivan!" Whitney snapped. "You and I both know it is!"

"You were sure the one with the Evil Eye was Tina too!" Chloe exclaimed despite the pain in her throat. "And we both know how wrong you were with _that_ hypothesis, Sherlock!"

"It's only because I didn't know about the shapeshifter using her powers to pretend to be me and try to force herself onto Lana, thus making Lana angry at me, _thus_ making her unintentionally use her powers against me!" Whitney defended, eyes narrowed. "If I had known this, I would have been able to deduce that Lana was the one with the _ability_. Okay? But I'm telling you, Tina Greer is a creepy, stalkerish, completely obsessed girl who would do _anything_ to keep Lana to herself!"

"_Tina_?" Lana gasped in horror, looking between the two of them in disbelief. "You think _Tina_ has something to do with all of this?"

Chloe sighed, leaning back against the sofa and bringing a hand to her forehead. "She's been the prime suspect until now. Yes. But I already let Fordman's distrust of her blind me to other suspects in the Evil Eye investigation. I can't let myself do that anymore. Despite the fact that Tina is the _perfect_ suspect, I think we need to also add others to our list of suspects."

"It's _Tina_." Whitney announced darkly, folding his arms over his chest. "But if you wanna check any of Lana's other stalkers, _fine_."

"I don't have-." Lana stopped when both Chloe and Whitney gave her a look. The brunette pouted and leaned back against the sofa. "Stalker is just such a _strong_ word."

Chloe and Whitney exchanged amused looks.

Lana sighed. "So what are we going to do? How do we know who it is if he or she can change into _anyone_?"

"Very good questions." Chloe sighed, smile melting from her face. "For one, you can't act any differently with Tina, just in case. I'm going to make a list of the different students that are suspects and we'll go eliminating them as we go through the list. I've been concentrating mostly on how to deal with the Evil Eye, but now I'm going to throw myself into researching the history of, and any written chronicles of, shape shifters. I need to know what exactly might be weaknesses, or if there are any consistencies in the many different shape shifting stories. I'm going to have to weed through them for..." Her voice gave out on her with an unattractive, hoarse squeak.

The blonde grabbed at her throat, eyes wide.

Lana and Whitney shared worried looks.

Whitney sighed and held out the bag for Chloe again.

The reporter pouted and reached into the bag.

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Her father had, of course, freaked out when he'd seen the bruises on her neck.

He'd accepted the excuse that Chloe had gotten attacked in the bathroom by a pervert and Lana had saved her, and he'd _lifted Lana off the ground_ from the hug he'd given the petite brunette. Lana had seemed vaguely uncomfortable but endured it with an embarrassed laugh. Gabe had then left to call his deceased wife's brother, General Sam Lane. By the time he'd finished talking on the phone (Lana had gone back to her house by that time, Whitney having driven her) Chloe had mutely listened as her father informed her that after she healed she'd be taking self defense lessons every evening. Apparently the General had recommended some very good instructors in the area, and her father was firm in his decision that the next time she got attacked (Gabe wasn't going to pretend that Chloe would stop getting herself in trouble and attacked) that she'd be able to "kick him in the nuts and run".

Of course, if Chloe could talk she would have laughed at those words, but the only sound that escaped her lips was a strangled, painful thing that made her father wince and become even more determined. He fussed over her all night (to her fond amusement) and when she still couldn't talk the next morning he took the morning off to go and take her to the hospital.

The doctor had frowned darkly.

Apparently she'd nearly had her larynx crushed...a little more pressure and she could have been killed.

The blonde gulped.

Thankfully her larynx was fine, only the swelling in her throat and other smaller difficulties were to be watched, and Chloe was given some medicine and released with the order to not speak.

For the girl who loved to talk...and always had a lot to say...that was like a death blow.

She'd nearly cried when her father told her not to go to school and instead relax, but then she'd remembered all the researching she had to do, and just nodded submissively.

That alone should have clued him in that she wasn't going to _rest_.

And to be truthful, by the time school was out, Chloe was exhausted.

There was just so much folklore and fairy tales and supposed true accounts about shapeshifters on the internet!

Her mind was _dizzy_ from all the reading!

And most of it hadn't even been helpful!

Apparently, most shapeshifting was from human to animal and vice versa anyway.

And that wasn't the shape shifting that she was interested in.

There was also some online journal that she'd hacked into which was some sort of journal styled 'hunting' how-to's.

Except the hunted were supernatural creatures.

And there _was_ human shape shifting in that.

Except..._god_ she hoped that _that_ wasn't what was happening because _tearing off its own skin_ and such?

Gross!

There was a knock on the front door.

Suspicious, Chloe stood and inched to the door, smiling when she saw Clark and Mr. Kent on her porch. There was only one shapeshifter out there, so this was the real Clark.

The blonde rushed to the door and grinned at the two men, waving.

"I just found out and-." Clark hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you tell-of course, you can't talk." He hugged tighter before letting go, looking down at her worried. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"Have they caught the guy who did this?" Jonathan Kent frowned fatherly down at her.

Chloe shook her head to Jonathan's question.

The blonde Kent frowned. "They will, don't worry. And if you need anything, Martha and I are just a call away."

Mouthing 'thank you', Chloe watched as Jonathan went back to the truck to give her and Clark some time alone.

Clark was looking at her neck angrily. "Was this because of some story you're following?"

She shook her head, able to tell him this honestly.

He frowned. "I can't _believe_ someone attacked you in the bathroom! And he was just some random pervert trying to hurt a girl in the bathroom?" He ran his hand over his hair. "You know that meteor freaks make Smallville unsafe...but normal humans as well?"

Chloe put her hand on his arm.

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

She smiled.

"I have a right to worry about you, you know." Clark sighed. "You're my best friend, Chloe. No, you're closer than that, you're like my sister, my blood, and I don't like that someone hurt you and I wasn't there."

A year ago hearing him say that she was like a sister would have hurt like hell, but now, it just made her smile tenderly at him. The blonde stood on her tiptoes and hugged her friend tightly.

She loved him like a brother too.

"Chloe, if you need something, you can tell me, you know." Clark hugged her tightly as well, though was obviously making sure not to hurt her. "I know that you've been hanging around with Whitney lately, and Lana too, but don't forget Pete and I are always there to back you up if you need us."

She didn't hear the sound of a truck pulling up behind Jonathan Kent's.

Chloe pulled back slightly and looked into Clark's face.

He looked down at her, genuinely worried and willing to help in any way he could. "I could stay over, you know, until the guy is caught? He could have been after you for some reason. You might be onto him in some other thing you're working on and you don't even know it. He might be feeling threatened that you'll uncover something about him. If I was there you'd be that much safer." He paused. "I could take the guest room. It'd be fine with me."

The blonde's smile grew more tender.

Her father had actually suggested something like that earlier.

"My parents would be fine with it." Clark frowned. "You're my best friend, Chlo. I don't want anything happening to you."

Shaking her head up at him, Chloe reached up and cupped his face, bringing it down to press a kiss to his forehead.

Clark smiled at her happily when they pulled away, understanding her in his own way. "If you change your mind, you have my number."

She nodded, grinning brightly.

Someone cleared his throat darkly.

Chloe and Clark nearly jumped, a little surprised at the sound, to see Whitney and Lana both standing at the bottom of the stairs. Lana's face was slightly pinched and Whitney's was blank.

"Hey, Whitney." Clark smiled, pulling away from Chloe. "Lana."

"Hello, _Kent_." Whitney's face shifted slightly in a moment's anger before it was gone and his expression neutral again as he took to the stairs. He moved passed Clark, his shoulder colliding into the other's the same time Lana joined them at the top of the steps...and suddenly Clark went down, looking queasy.

_CLARK? _Chloe's eyes widened as she bent to her knees next to him.

The door of the truck opened and Jonathan was out, his eyes darting all around before resting on Lana's necklace. Jonathan then hauled his boy up and pulled him down the stairs.

And suddenly Clark was looking better.

"We should go." Jonathan still kept a hold on his son. "Remember we're close by in case you need anything."

She nodded and smiled to them, waving as she stood and watched them leave.

And when they were out of sight she turned and slugged Whitney hard on his arm.

He yelped in pain, flinching away from her. "_Christ_, Sullivan! What was _that_ for?"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"It was an _accident_, this place is narrow." He glared back at her. "And anyway, it wasn't hard enough for him to _fall to his ass_ and be all overly dramatic about it."

Lana was frowning in worry, watching the road. "He looked like he was in a lot of pain."

"Oh _please_. Look at him. He's like a _mountain_." Whitney exclaimed. "There's no way a tiny brush of the shoulders would have put him in agony or something." He huffed, shucking his hands into his pockets. "Now are you going to let me in or am I going to have to take my mother's homemade, supposedly miraculous sore-throat curing medicine back?"

Chloe blinked in surprise, tilting her head.

He smirked and pulled out the small bottle from his pocket. "You're going to hate me once you taste it."

She couldn't help but smirk.

"And Nell sent over this." Lana lifted the container Chloe hadn't noticed she'd been carrying. "Whatever it is."

The reporter grinned and opened the door, letting the two in.

"So," Whitney announced as he entered behind Lana. "Found anything interesting on the internet about shape shifters?"

Chloe sighed in despair and followed them inside.

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**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

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Despite still not being able to speak, Chloe was back in school two days later. Whitney had become her lozenge-dealer and hooked her up with an insane amount of packs. It'd been kinda cute, because he'd brought her a pack with different flavors, and had spent the night with her studying shape shifters-and her reactions to the different flavors. At first she'd thought he was just being annoying, but apparently he'd been really paying attention because the next day when Whitney and Lana had arrived, the blonde jock had brought larger bags with the flavors Chloe had liked the best.

And he'd bought three large bags of the water mellon flavored ones.

She didn't know how he'd figured out that those had been her favorite-but she kinda liked it.

Lana was having a hard time because she'd been placed in a hard situation.

Tina had always been her friend, and now Lana had to evaluate the fact that Tina could very well be the shapeshifter. And Chloe thought Whitney had been a little callous when he'd told Lana that she couldn't let Tina know that she was a suspect-and to use their friendship to spy on the girl to find the proof they needed. Whitney was completely sure that the shapeshifter was Tina, and while Chloe might believe that too, she didn't want to let any bias go against them like it has with the Evil Eye culprit.

Speaking about the Evil Eye, Chloe and Lana were studying together, to see if Lana could consciously learn to control her power...and so far they weren't having any progress, but neither girl were giving up.

"Chloe."

The blonde looked up and smiled at Ricky Foster, the Center. She waved at him, admiring the way he looked in his jersey.

"How are you doing?" Ricky asked, tilting his head to the side slightly as his gaze went to the ugly bruises still dark on her neck. "God, I can't believe someone actually put their hands on you."

She raised her finger up for him to wait a second, and then began writing maniacally in the small notepad Whitney had given her that morning since he'd assured her the rest of the school wouldn't be as awesome as him in understanding her non-verbal communication.

When she was finished writing, she turned the notepad around so Ricky could see what she'd written.

_**And here I was under the impression that most of the football team wanted to do nothing but wring my neck**_.

Ricky grinned as he read that. "Maybe before. But they've come around. If me and Fordman think you're okay, they've figured that you can't be all that bad. Plus, more girls have called them since you auctioned off their numbers. It helps their egos."

If she could have laughed she would've.

Instead, she just grinned toothily and began scribbling rapidly once more. _**So the way to a guy's heart is through their ego, not the stomach.**_

"Oh, for a lot of guys its still the stomach." He reassured her, ducking his head. "Talking about the stomach. My family own this cabin on an island and when we win this championship, the team and some others are going to go there to celebrate." He cleared his throat. "You could bring your friends if you wanted too. I don't want you thinking I'm some creep taking you to some remote place to have you gang-raped and then fed to the pigs or something."

_**For the record, that had nothing to do with the stomach.**_ He smiled sheepishly. "I know...I was just trying to find a lead-in for that conversation...and it _really_ didn't work out."

She paused, looking at him curiously. _**You're really inviting me?**_

"Course." He nodded, keeping his gaze ducked. "It'll be for the long weekend, and there will be booze and you can mock the boys as they act like drunken idiots."

That sounded amusing._** Why?**_

"Because, be it my sex or not, men are just idiots when they get drunk and I know you'd enjoy documenting it."

A hoarse near-laugh escaped her, and she winced when it _really_ hurt.

"Are you okay?" Ricky asked, worried.

She nodded. _**I'm fine. Don't worry**_.

"You sure?"

She nodded once more. _**I was actually asking you WHY you were inviting me.**_

Ricky paused, looking at the notepad, at her, and then at the ground. "Well, you know-."

"_Foster_."

Chloe and Ricky turned to see Whitney coming towards them, face odd.

Ricky cleared his throat and ducked his gaze. "Uh, Whitney. Didn't see you there."

"_Obviously_." There was something tight in Whitney's voice as he reached them, flinging a causal arm over Chloe's shoulders. "Feeling better today, Sully? I still stand by what I said last night. You should be at home."

She gave him a glare.

"I don't _care_ if you're dying of boredom, you don't want to over tax your body."

She poked him in his chest.

He chuckled. "Yes, well, what can I say to that?"

Her look spoke _volumes._

"Real mature, Sullivan." He chided.

Her face broke out into a smile as she shook her head, rolling her eyes.

Whitney's smile straightened out somewhat as his eyes turned on Ricky. "So, what were you two talking about?" He snatched the notepad from Chloe's hands and an odd expression darkened his face as he looked up at Ricky with a vicious smile. "Were you inviting her out on a _date_, Foster?" He flinched when Chloe slapped him in his chest. "Ouch! Sullivan!"

She glared at him.

He glared down at her. "I am _not_ being a jerk. I was asking a question. Since when has _that_ been illegal in the land of the free?"

She rolled her eyes.

"And I would think _you_, Miss Future Daily Planet, would _appreciate_ a good interrogation." He continued, passing her back her notepad.

Chloe made up her face at Whitney, and probably would have physically assaulted him once more, but she started to cough...and she grabbed her throat...in agony.

"Hey, hey, take it easy Sully." Whitney reached into the pocket of his jersey and pulled out a water mellon flavor lozenge. The blonde unwrapped it and plopped it into her mouth the moment the coughing was over. "Now suck on that. It'll help."

She nodded, obedient for once.

"Good girl." Whitney smiled in approval. "Feeling better?"

She nodded.

"Good." He smiled, before raising an eyebrow at Ricky. "Yes, well, this conversation has been...yeah. But I've got to take this hellion to make sure that that the Torch hasn't burnt down during her two day absence. So we'll be going now."

Chloe looked up at him, eyes wide and a smile appearing on her face.

How had he known that she was desperate to see how her baby had faired without her?

"Um, yeah." Ricky nodded. "Uh, see you later."

Chloe nodded.

"Yeah." Whitney sneered. "I'll see you at practice."

Ricky cleared his throat and walked away.

Chloe waved.

Whitney eased her hand down.

She glared at him.

He chuckled. "The fact that you like to imagine whipping me _so often_ makes me think you have a little bit of a sadistic side to you, Sullivan." He leaned closer to her, his breath hot against her ear. "Fancy a leather outfit and some handcuffs?"

She closed her eyes and couldn't repress the shiver of delight his breath induced.

God.

If she wasn't careful this attraction could become something so much more dangerous!

And with that worry, she let him lead her to the Torch.

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Not being able to talk at home was torture.

Not being able to talk at _school_ was hell.

Chloe sighed as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Well, to be truthful, she was looking at the dark, ugly marks on her neck, and replaying the attack over and over again. She'd been having nightmares of the attack, and sometimes, she admitted to being scared of whether her father was really her father and not the shapeshifter in disguise waiting for her to sleep...but the blonde refused to let anyone know this. She wasn't going to let that shapeshifter get the better of her. She was strong. She could handle this.

"Those marks are _ugly_."

Chloe sighed when she heard that high-pitched voice, raising her gaze to meet Dawn Stiles' eyes in the reflection.

"You know, I've always known you wanted attention, but there _is_ "bad" attention, you know?" Dawn announced with a sneer, gaze going down to her perfect pink fingernails. "You look gauche."

Chloe was surprised that Dawn even knew the word.

"Not that you're any better normally, of course." Dawn continued on, raising her gaze from her nails. "I don't know what game you're playing, but trying to take all the attention to yourself by playing the poor victim isn't going to work, okay? You're nothing but the nerdy, unwanted, and _totally_ uncool dyed blonde who spends her high school years cooped up in that musty old office pouring your all into a newspaper _no one_ gives a shit about."

Chloe leaned back against the sink, just watching the thinner girl.

"I stayed quiet for a while because I'm incredibly awesome and I know the underdog needs _some_ attention, but you're going too far." The blonde poked her pink fingernail in Chloe's direction. "You're using Whitney's _sympathy_ for a pathetic little _nobody_ to try and worm your way into his life and _I can not stay silent anymore!_"

Chloe raised an eyebrow.

Since _when_ had Dawn _ever_ known the meaning of _silence_?

"This has got to _stop_." Dawn yipped like a moody pomeranian. "Break it off with Whitney or _else_."

Chloe just watched her.

"Or _else_." Dawn repeated, before storming out of the bathroom.

Watching the door slam shut, Chloe waited a second before turning around and looking at the marks on her neck once more.

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Back at home, Chloe lay on her back, reading a book on ancient native american legends surrounding shapeshifting. In the background she could hear Lana talking on Skype to Lois Lane. Ever since the attack Lois had made it her mission to call up every evening to know that her Baby Cuz was fine. Since Chloe couldn't talk, she'd give her cousin a wave, blow her a kiss, and let her father or Lana talk to the brunette and give her a recount of everything that'd happened up until that point. Since Lana was usually over, and Gabe was usually working during the time Lois called, it was Lana who was the one who talked to Lois the most, and while intimidated by the other girl at first, Lana was doing better.

Chloe was quite impressed, actually.

But right now, she was immersed in her book.

So far, all she'd read had said that most shape shifters were at least _bothered_ by silver. Even if it only gave a rash. Of course, the fact that this was most probably a meteor-rock induced power might get rid of that aspect of the curse, but Chloe didn't think it could hurt to do some hacking into the local medical records and find out if there was anyone in Smallville High who had some sort of _allergy _to silver.

There was also the fact that shape shifters were said to be more aggressive during full moons, even in their humans form.

Chloe didn't think she wanted to try that out.

"_No_." Lana announced snippily to Lois. "They're friends. She helped him and he's helping her."

Chloe sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

What if that was exactly what was going on?

What if Whitney was only repaying her for the help she'd tried to give him?

And anyway, while the shapeshifter was at large Lana was in danger as well.

It made sense that he'd want the person found out and not be a threat any more.

Maybe Dawn had been right, in a way.

Maybe...

Chloe frowned, straining her ears.

Was that-?

Getting up, Chloe put down the book and went towards the front door. Opening it cautiously, she froze when she saw what was on her front porch.

There was a puppy.

A tan and black puppy with wrinkles and large brown eyes that looked soulfully up at her.

"She's a mutt, though its clear to see she has German Shepherd _somewhere_ in her lineage."

Chloe looked up in surprise at the voice, seeing Whitney wringing out his jersey. Apparently he'd used the hose to wash it.

"She peed on it while in the truck." Whitney sighed. "I thought that the fact that she was a mutt would make her like you more, that you'd find her to have more 'character' or something like that. Plus, mixed dogs are usually healthier, and my mom assures me that female dogs are known to be more protective of their owners."

Chloe bent down, unable to keep from picking up the adorable puppy, holding the creature in her arms as it licked her face.

"Do you know how much of a pain in the ass it was to clean her?" Whitney wanted to know, looking annoyed. "She was _covered_ in ticks and fleas, and every time I thought I'd gotten the last one _another_ appeared."

She rubbed the puppy behind its ear, looking at Whitney in confusion.

"She's not house-trained. My room will never be the same." The jock continued as he made his way up the steps so that he was standing in front of her a little awkwardly. "The books we've been reading-they all say dogs go crazy in the presence of shape shifters-and that shifters don't like them either."

Chloe looked up at him.

He cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "Look, I know it's stupid and-."

Heart thumping loudly, Chloe pushed up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Whitney went still.

Chloe pulled away and looked down at the puppy, feeling the blush climbing up her neck.

Whitney still hadn't moved.

She chanced a look up at him, wondering if she'd just-.

Whitney's face was bright pink.

She chanced a small, shy and awkward smile at him.

He returned the gesture before clearing his throat and ducking his gaze. "Yes, well, uh, practice was hell and coach was the devil as always but, uh, and..."

Chloe grinned up at him.

He was rambling.

Whitney glared at her. "Stop finding this so amusing."

She grinned brighter and motioned for him to come inside.

The puppy continued to lick her chin.

Whitney watched her in silence, a small smile on his lips, before following her in.

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**Review?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

A/N: I _***am***_ aware that the correct spelling is "Persephone".

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"Uhm, Chloe?"

The blonde looked up from where she was trying to fasted Persephane's collar, and yet it was nearly in vain as the puppy danced all around her, curled tail wagging excitedly and tongue bathing Chloe's face happily. The human shook her head at her puppy, finally managing to secure the red collar around that neck, before finally sitting down with a sigh of relief. The two month old puppy was a _handful, _and Chloe absolutely loved it.

Whitney was out with late practice. Apparently the team wasn't doing so well and the coach was being a tyrant, making the practice late into the night. And Lana was out with Tina. The small brunette didn't want to think that her childhood friend could be the shape shifter they were after, but she was keeping an open mind, and spending time with her friend, keeping alert to anything that might tip them off as to whether she was the culprit or not.

So that left Chloe alone...until Clark had come over to spend some time with her.

It was interesting because while it was obvious that Clark liked Lana, there were some times that he just couldn't be around her. He got sick and clumsy and Chloe knew it wasn't Lana using her powers on Clark. Mostly because Lana had nothing against Clark at all, and secondly because Lana had no conscious control over her powers. So there was something other than her meteor ability that sometimes made Lana Lang _painful_ for Clark to be around, and it made Chloe insanely curious at times.

"Chloe."

Having looked back down during the struggle with the collar, Chloe looked back up and then winced when she recognized the folder in Clark's hand.

Whitney liked to call it their Not So Secret, Hello Kitty Folder Of Secret Secrets.

"Do you have something you wanna tell me?" Clark asked, looking kinda ridiculous as he held onto that bright pink, Hello Kitty folder, which Lana had supplied for them to keep the information they thought most relevant to the case.

Chloe flinched.

"You _are_ on a case." He looked betrayed. "You _were_ attacked because of that. You told me that you _weren't_."

The blonde stumbled to her feet and raced for her notepad, writing maniacally before showing Clark what she'd written. _**I wasn't working this case when I got attacked. I wasn't lying to you.**_

That betrayal melted away into concern. "But you're going over this case _because_ of the attack?"

She nodded, hugging the notepad to her heart.

Clark looked down at the information in the folder once more. "Chloe, why didn't you tell me? I mean, from the handwriting and stuff in here I can guess that Lana and Whitney know, so why didn't you tell Pete and I? _We_ have always been there to help you."

Deciding this was _way_ too long to write, Chloe reached for her best friend's hand and dragged him to the sofa. Putting the notepad down she pulled her laptop onto her lap and opened a word document, instead typing all she saw to say. And it was a lot. She told him everything from the beginning, about how Whitney had come to her asking for help when he thought Tina was using the Evil Eye against him, and how everything had happened. She left out the fact that the person with the Evil Eye had actually been Lana (instead stating it was someone else and she was going to respect their privacy by not disclosing the identity), and Clark had respected her ability to respect someone else's secret. It'd even made him smile and mess her hair a little. The blonde had made a face at him and pushed his hand from her hair before continuing with the typing, finishing up to the attack, and how they knew it was a doppelganger.

Clark sighed as he finished reading the _long_ typed document while playing with the silver envelope opening Chloe had decided to keep with her at all times. "That's a lot to have happened in so short time."

Chloe nodded in agreement.

The farm boy leaned back in the sofa. "So this person can become _perfect_ replicas of someone else? Even me?"

Chloe nodded, eyeing her friend as she remembered the episode that'd happened with shapehifter!Clark. _**Give me a second**_** to **_**compare**__. _With that she put away the laptop and turned around on the sofa. Grabbing Clark by his flannel shirt, she pulled him to her, the shock of the unexpected hold causing him to fall on top of her, between her thighs, on the sofa.

Clark's eyes widened, and his face went beet red. "_Chloe_?" He squeaked.

She smirked at his 'Don't rape me!' expression, rolling her eyes at him before pushing away and typing once more. _**Yep. You feel the same**_.

"What the _fuck_?" A voice asked from the door. "Are you some sort of _whore_ giving it out to _everyone_?"

Chloe's eyes widened in horror and she turned, scrambling to her feet to see Whitney Fordman, fresh from practice.

"It isn't what you think." Clark stumbled to his feet. "She was just-."

"Offering herself up to _everyone_ apparently." Whitney sneered. "God, I knew there was something wrong with you, but I didn't realize you were such a slut, Chloe."

Chloe paused, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes.

Clark hissed in fury. "You take that back Fordman!"

Chloe reached her hand out to block Clark's path when he would have stormed towards Whitney.

Clark frowned down at her. "Chloe, he has no right to-."

But Chloe wasn't looking at him.

She was looking at Persephane.

The small puppy was hiding under the table where the laptop was resting, but she was peeking her head out from under. Her brown eyes were on Whitney, and the noises she was making were a mixture of snarling and whimpering.

Clark followed Chloe's gaze to the puppy, confused as to how this was relevant.

She'd had yet to explain this part to him.

Chloe lifted her gaze from Persephane to Whitney.

The blonde was eyeing the puppy with a mixture of disgust and unease, unconsciously backing up a step.

That wasn't Whitney.

Chloe had had her suspicions from the way the person had talked to her and reacted, because no matter how angry, Whitney would never speak to her in that way or call her any of those names. But Persephane's reactions just sealed the deal.

Before them stood the shapeshifter.

And when those blue eyes found hers, she knew the shape shifter knew.

Chloe turned to Clark to try and warn him, but suddenly the shifter charged at him, attacking him at full force while shoving Chloe down and out of the way.

Clark faltered, seeming surprised at this, as he tried to defend himself. He fought back, but the shifter was able to easily keep up and grabbing Chloe's laptop, he brought it down on Clark's head.

It didn't seem to phase Clark one bit.

Chloe and the shifter were surprised.

Clark punched the shifter and sent him/her flying into the wall.

Hard.

Chloe's eyes widened.

Picture frames fell from the wall and broke.

The shifter groaned and got back to his/her feet.

Persephane made her way to Chloe's feet and hid behind her mistress, letting out half-choked barking sounds.

Chloe looked all around her.

The shifter in Whitney's form snarled and charged Clark, tackling him, both falling onto the table, smashing it to pieces as they rolled on the ground.

Some green specs of what looked like dust fell from the shifter's skin onto Clark, and suddenly he grew pale.

Persephane made her move, rushing to the shapeshifter and latching herself onto his/her ankle.

The creature/person shrieked and yet wouldn't let go of a struggling Clark.

Chloe began to look around the wreck of the table.

The shifter was gaining control, sneering it opened its palm and blew, a cloud of green dust blowing into Clark's face, causing him to cough and look like he was about to die.

Hands coming into contact with what she'd been looking for, Chloe charged the shifter silently and straddled his/her back, jamming the silver letter opener into the junction of his/her neck.

The shifter screamed and turned, abandoning Clark to grab Chloe and kick Persephane away. The creature/human placed his/her hand over Chloe's hand and mouth.

The blonde screamed, suffocating as green dust began to tunnel itself deep into her nose and mouth, blocking out any oxygen flow.

The shifter used his/her other hand to pull out the letter opener.

Wrong move.

It/he/she began to bleed more profusely, and collapsed to the ground, twitching.

And then disintegrated into _nothing_.

Chloe tried sitting up, horrified, but she couldn't.

She grabbed at her throat, still unable to breathe, the green dust having hardened in her throat and nostrils.

The door opened, and four Whitneys walked in, surveying the damage.

A shadow figure stood outside, hidden.

Chloe's eyes widened, her vision blurring from her need to breathe.

Persephane limped towards Chloe and snarled at the Whitneys, though she also whimpered in pain from where she'd been kicked.

The Whitneys hesitated, before leaving.

Chloe didn't know why.

They had the advantage.

They walked away and closed the door.

She was already blacking out.

The last thing she remembered before everything went black was Persephane beginning to lick her face.

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**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville**

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One minute there'd been darkness, and the next it was as if there was electricity sending jolts into her, and Chloe gasped as she came awake, finding herself in the wreck of her living room. She could breathe a little, but it was hard.

Breathing in harshly, trying to get in air past the blockage of the green dust, suddenly the blockage crumbled and she choked as she swallowed the dust. At least she could breathe though, and she pushed back the fear of what _exactly_ she'd swallowed to the back of her mind as she crawled towards Clark. He was lying on the ground, pale as death, trembling.

"_Clark_!" Not even realizing that she had her voice back, Chloe checked his mouth and nostrils, relieved to find that they weren't blocked. But it so, why was he still so terribly sickly looking? "Clark. _Please_. _Clark_!"

Nothing.

Persephane sat down next to her, wagging her curled tail happily to see her fine.

Chloe looked around the wreckage and found the phone, thanking all the gods that it was still working as she dialed 911. The ambulance and police arrived quicker than she'd feared, and she was grateful as the team took Clark to the hospital, while she remained behind to give her statement of what had happened. Or, her version of what had happened.

How could she tell them she'd stabbed and killed someone if there was no blood left behind? No trace that that person had been there in the first place except for the fact that she and Clark were injured and the house was damaged?

"We need to get you checked out as well." Officer Maxwell smiled at her. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

"The EMTs looked over me and said I was okay." She complained. "And I don't want to leave my puppy."

"She can come along for the ride. And get looked at too. She's limping."

Chloe had noticed that too. "You think they'll look at her? She's not exactly human."

"I'll get my sister to make an exception." Officer Maxwell promised, hand going to the small of her back. "And I called your father and he'll be meeting the three of us at the hospital, so you can't say no."

Calling Persephane over, Chloe picked up the tan and black puppy. "You have my father's number?"

"Why are you surprised?" The young officer wanted to know, eyebrow raised as he walked her to his car. "After all these times I have him on _speed dial_."

Blushing, Chloe let him help her into the car and buckled herself up, holding onto Persephane as he got into the car and drove her to the hospital. Poor Persie vomited before they reached there, the puppy was unused to being in a car, and Officer Maxwell's cruiser payed the ultimate price.

"I'm _so_ sorry." Chloe repeated as Ginny Maxwell looked her over.

"Don't worry. I've had drunkards lose their stomach's contents in there before. This is just a lesser amount. And I actually _like_ Persephane." Maxwell assured her from the sidelines, where he was holding the offending puppy.

Ginny smiled in amusement. "You seem perfectly healthy Chloe. And your voice-your throats seems perfect."

The blonde blinked, realizing this for the first time. "You're right. I'm talking. And my throat doesn't hurt."

"I'm not exactly sure what happened, but you're fine now." The dark haired woman smiled. "Now, let's look this little brave beauty over."

Officer Maxwell handed the puppy over to his older sister.

"Good girl." Ginny grinned at the puppy before turning to look at her brother and Chloe. "Tris, take the girl to the cafeteria and get her something to eat. She needs some color back in those cheeks."

"Cafeteria food? _Really_ sis?" He grinned. "And I thought you were trying to make her feel _better_."

Ginny shook her head with laughter. "Get on with you two and let me look at this little lady!"

Officer Maxwell nodded and led Chloe out of there.

The blonde looked around the hustle and bustle of the hospital, her good mood draining. "Do you think there's any news about Clark?"

Tristan Maxwell's hand went to her shoulder. "Don't worry Chloe, he'll be fine. The doctors will take care of him."

"Did anyone remember to call Mr. and Mrs. Kent?" She asked, feeling so guilty for everything.

Maxwell squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry, Chlo."

Smiling up at the man who'd promised to be her 'police mole' when he'd graduated from high school, the blonde leaned her head against him. He'd kept an eye out for her in high school even though it'd been his last year when she'd transferred in, and true to his word he'd helped her get information she needed when he'd joined the police force. And not only that, but Tristan Maxwell had always been there whenever she'd get in trouble. He was always the first one there, always the one she could count on and lean on.

"Have I ever thanked you for being there for me, Tris?" She asked softly.

"Course you have." He sounded like he was smiling.

"_Chloe_!"

Looking up at the familiar voice, Chloe only had a second's warning before she had an armful of Lana Lang.

"I heard about what happened and we came over right away!" Lana sniffled, hugging her tightly and hiding her face in Chloe's neck, allowing the blonde to feel the tears as they fell against her skin. "Are you okay? Were you hurt? How's Clark? Where's Whitney? It isn't Tina! How are you?"

Chloe hesitated a second, a little disoriented by the verbal diarrhea, before putting her arms around the thinner girl. "I'm okay." Her eyes were on Tina Greer, who was standing behind Lana with an annoyed yet reluctantly worried look on her face. "Hello Tina."

"You can talk." Tina noted. "I thought you couldn't."

"I can now." The blonde announced.

Officer Maxwell cleared his throat. "I will be going now that you have someone here with you."

Chloe smiled at him. "Thanks Tris."

He grinned before leaving.

"It's not Tina. Not the one who's been hurting others." Lana announced, pulling away from Chloe and sniffling. "She never left my side all night and was there with me when we heard about what happened!"

"And I'm assuming you told her." Chloe announced, looking between the two girls.

Lana looked a little guilty as she nodded. "Yeah. And, well, is there anywhere the three of us can have a private conversation?"

Chloe knew she was supposed to stay here and wait for her father to arrive from his Conference in Metropolis, but this looked urgent. "How about on the roof?"

The girls nodded.

Together they snuck away and found themselves on the roof.

Chloe leaned against the side and looked at the two brunettes.

Lana sighed. "I-I told Tina, about everything. She was with me all the time. She couldn't be the one hurting everyone."

Tina looked uncomfortable. "I-I _do_ have a meteor power though." She gave Chloe a suspicious look.

"That's okay, she knows about mine and you haven't seen it publicized in the Torch, have you?" Lana urged.

Chloe felt a little bad.

Apparently meteor freaks thought she had it out for them just because they were different, and hadn't realized that it was only the ones who were hurting others that she'd publicized about.

Tina sighed. "Okay, I admit to it. I _am_ a shapeshifter." She ran her hand over her hair. "When I was a kid I had an illness that made my bones extremely weak. The doctors tried this new procedure to try and help me, and injected this serum into my spine made with meteor rocks as its prime ingredient. After that my bones grew stronger, and I realized I could morph into other people."

Chloe scratched her cheek. "The one who pretended to be Whitney to make Lana break up with him, or make other people dislike him, was you, wasn't it?"

Tina nodded, face downcast.

Lana sighed.

"And the one who pretended to be Clark to make me stop being friends with Lana was _you_ too."

Tina flinched and nodded. "Uh, yeah."

Lana looked away, face displeasured.

"But I _swear_, I never _hurt_ anyone. Not physically!" Tina looked up, face agonized as she looked at Chloe. "I _swear_ to you on my friendship with Lana that I _wasn't_ the one who pretended to be her and attacked you! I _swear_ that I wasn't the one who came at you tonight either. I don't like you being friends with Lana, but I don't want you _dead_ either. I don't dislike you that much."

Chloe gave her a small, amused smile. "Thanks." And she made a confession of her own. "I had already figured that you weren't the one who was attacking people."

Lana blinked.

Tina just _stared_. "You...had?"

"Yeah." Chloe nodded, clearing her throat. "I'd had a suspicion from the first, but then after tonight's attack I realized something while driving in the police cruiser. What attacked me last night, and attacked Lana and I, wasn't a doppelganger. It wasn't even a shapeshifter."

"Wait. _What_?" Lana moved her hands around crazily. "Chloe, stop and rewind. What are you saying? What exactly _happened_ tonight? We only heard you and Clark were attacked. Give us the details."

Chloe wanted to wait for Whitney, but probably had gotten home after training and had fallen asleep. He wouldn't know what had happened tonight, and after not being able to talk Chloe didn't want to keep quiet. So she recounted the attack in the bathroom for Tina's sake, and then she recounted the one she and Clark had just suffered through. "What stands out in both instances?"

"You were attacked, personally." Lana hugged herself, looking worried.

"Uhm." Tina cleared her throat, looking a little uneasy. "Nothing's left behind."

Chloe smiled. "_Exactly_."

Tina looked down at her shoes.

Lana frowned, looking between the girls. "What do you mean?"

"In the bathroom I clawed at the impostor's hands, and yet there wasn't any skin tissue or blood under my fingernails afterwards." Chloe held up her fingers and wriggled them.

"And tonight she basically _murdered_ the Whitney impostor, but there wasn't any blood or body or any evidence that it was there." Tina finished. "Which means that the person that attacked her wasn't a person at all."

"But a projected illusion." Chloe finished.

For the first time ever, Tina and Chloe grinned at each other.

Lana looked between them and cleared her throat. Loudly. "I'm lost." She took in a deep breath. "How could an _illusion_ actually _hurt_ you and damage the place? I don't get it. And how would you come to this conclusion anyway?"

"It's the multiple Fordmans." Chloe and Tina announced at the same time, looking at each other in nearly growing respect.

Lana's frown grew as she looked between them. "I'm still not getting it."

Chloe opened her mouth to try and explain.

Lana's phone rang.

The brunette sighed in frustration and pulled her mobile out of her pocket, blinking when she saw the caller i.d. "Whitney?" She answered the phone.

Tina glared at her shoes.

Chloe looked away, trying to push away the sense of hurt and jealousy that entered her at the fact that Whitney apparently still called Lana.

"What? Huh? Whit! Stop it! Calm down!" Lana snapped, running her hand over her hair. "Okay, yes, calm down. Like that. Now, _what_ were you saying?"

Chloe looked at her nails.

She missed the look Lana sent her. "I know. Yes. Yes of course. I'm at the hospital right now." She raised an eyebrow. "How do _you_ know?" She made a face. "God, you don't have to be _rude_. She's _fine!_" Her eyes narrowed. "I _wouldn't_ lie about something like that."

Chloe turned back to look at Lana at the direction of the conversation.

"Whitney, she's _fine_. I _swear_. We're with her right now. And she's not answering her phone because it got damaged in the attack. Yes. _Yes_." Lana sighed in frustration. "_Whitney!_ _Calm down_!"

Tina blinked as she watched Lana lose her temper with someone.

"You're at the hospital?" Lana blinked, going to the edge of the roof and looking down. "How did you get here so quickly? Why are your tires smoking?"

Chloe and Tina shared looks before rushing to Lana's side and looking down.

Sure enough, Whitney Fordman was on the phone, staring back up at them, and parked behind him was his father's truck...the tires smoking slightly.

Chloe and Whitney's gazes met, and they both froze.

His face was ashen as he looked up at her, and then he rushed into the hospital.

Lana pouted, putting the phone back in her pocket. "He hung up."

"Was it me, or was Fordman _really_ dirty?" Tina wanted to know, leaning against the edge of the roof.

"He must have come right from practice." Chloe blinked, a little dizzy and not sure whether it was realizing just how high up she was...or the look on Whitney's face.

"He said that there was a video-feed sent to all the jocks' phones with the image of Chloe and Clark getting their asses handed to them by..._nothing_. All they could see were Chloe and Clark being thrown around the room."

"I never got anything sent to my phone." Tina frowned.

"Me neither." Lana agreed.

"So why only the jocks?" Chloe wanted to know, eyeing the girls thoughtfully. "And isn't it interesting that on the video the illusion couldn't be seen?"

"_I'm so confused_." Lana bemoaned.

"What if it's an optical illusion?" Tina wanted to know. "One in which only the ones being attacked can see?"

"That's an interesting thought." Chloe tapped her lips, deep in thought. "I'd like to see that video."

Suddenly the door to the rooftop opened and Whitney stood there, covered in dirt and sweat, still wearing his jersey...which looked a little singed for some odd reason. He paused in the doorway, just _looking_ at her. "_Chloe_."

She froze.

This was the first time he'd called her by her first name.

That was one of the reasons why she'd been able to tell that the impostor hadn't been Whitney in the house, but somehow she knew that _this_ was the real Whitney.

"I'm fine." She spoke, and then he was suddenly _there_, soaked in sweat and smelling slightly, holding onto her tightly, lifting her somewhat off of the ground. His arms were strong yet shaking slightly as he held her to him, hiding his face in her hair. "_Whitney_?"

He was silent, still shaking slightly.

Chloe felt tears come to her eyes, and for the first time that night she wasn't brave. She didn't realize when she'd started crying, but Whitney held onto her tighter and sniffled as well. She hugged Whitney tightly, arms around his neck, and hid her face in his neck.

For this moment in time, her world only had Whitney in it.

Lana looked between them, a pained expression on her features, before she took in a deep sigh and turned to Tina, motioning for her to come with her as they left the two on the rooftop.

Neither Chloe nor Whitney noticed

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**Review?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.**

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After a visit from his parents in the hospital, Clark had started getting better, but, he was still very weak and was staying home until he could completely recuperate. Chloe went to visit him daily, and she realized that he spent most of his days sunbathing, seeming to get better the longer he spent under the sun. Usually this would set off her weird-dar, and it did, but she ignored it because he was her friend and he'd nearly died protecting her. If he had some big dark secret he could tell her himself at his own time.

Also, she already had a mystery on her hands and didn't need another. And on top of that, she had the fear that having ingested so much meteor rock might have made her a meteor freak. Persephane, God bless that little puppy, was already beginning to show some symptoms of infection.

The puppy had grown larger, older, having seemed to mutate from puppy to a half grown dog in less than two weeks.

And Chloe didn't know what else could be happening to her poor pet.

She didn't think she'd have the heart to put her down if the dog went insane because of her meteor infection.

"You look worried."

Chloe looked up, dragged from her thoughts, gazing into Whitney's worried face. "Sorry."

He sighed, looking at her, hesitating a second, before placing his hand on hers and squeezing. "Everything's going to be alright, okay? Its been two weeks since the attack and nothing has happened."

"It just means that whoever was behind the attacks is regrouping, planning his or her next move." Chloe countered, gaze lowering to their joined hands before looking away, clearing her throat.

Tina Greer, the newest and unlikeliest member of their alliance, eyed their joined hands and smirked around her lollipop. "Well, whatever this person is planning, he or she shouldn't be the only one. We should plan something too."

Lana was silent, gaze lowered on the glass she'd been cradling for most of the evening.

Chloe was a little worried about Lana.

Whitney and Chloe's relationship was slowly changing, everyone could see that, and Lana was trying her best to accept it but it was obvious that she was hurting.

Chloe didn't want to hurt Lana, who she was quickly beginning to think of a close friend, but she liked Whitney, and Lana had had her chance with Whitney already.

Chloe deserved her own chance with the Quarterback.

Lana's phone began to ring and she quickly put down her glass and reached into her glittery pink handbag.

The first smile of the evening lifted her lips as she saw the caller I.D.

Tina watched her with a frown.

"Hey." Lana answered the phone, pushing up to her feet and headed towards the front door as she pulled a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear in a shy gesture. "I didn't think you'd call me anymore."

Whitney and Chloe eyed the blush spreading on Lana's cheeks, before sharing amused and confused looks.

Whitney's thumb began to caress Chloe's palm.

"No! No! I'm not saying that you're bothering me at all! I'm not!" Lana hurried to exclaim, closing the door behind her and keeping the rest of them from hearing whatever else she was going to say.

Whitney pushed up to his feet. "I'm going to get us something to drink."

Chloe nodded, watching him pad towards the kitchen, comfortable in her home.

Tina growled, looking away from the view of Lana blushing and giggling and playing with her hair through the window, Tina's good mood vanished. "Why can't she ever like _me_ for once?"

Chloe, who had always thought that Tina was in love with Lana, turned to her at that confession.

Tina's glare leveled with Chloe. "I hope you know I hold _you_ responsible for this."

The blonde blinked. "Me? What do _I_ have to do with all of this?"

Tina snorted. "If you hadn't gone and lost your voice then she wouldn't have ever had to come into contact with your cousin."

Chloe blinked again, gaze going to where Lana was blushing darker, biting down on her bottom lip and yet smiling as she listened to what was being said. "Are you saying that she's talking to _Lois_?"

"More now than ever." Tina grumbled, once more giving Chloe an accusing look.

Chloe looked at Lana through the window, then at a glowering Tina, then back at a giggling Lana, and then back at Tina before she leaned closer to the girl sitting across from her on the carpet, voice lowered. "Are you saying that Lana's _bisexual_?"

Tina rolled her eyes at Chloe, as if disgusted.

And then she paused.

Really looking at the blonde.

Tina frowned, tilting her head to the side. "You're _serious_."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Chloe wanted to know, confused. "It's not like it's obvious. I mean, I've only heard of Lana with guys and the last person she liked was Whitney."

Tina continued to look at her. "You _are_ serious."

Chloe hated the feeling that she was missing a big piece of some puzzle.

A piece Tina obviously thought was right under her nose.

"Wow." Tina shook her head, rueful. "You know, for an investigative journalist in the making, you're denser then _hell_."

Chloe frowned, wondering what exactly she'd missed.

Tina sighed, a forlorn glance sent in Lana's direction before she turned to Chloe. "Am I ugly?"

The blonde frowned darker at the question. "Excuse me?"

"I've been her friend since primary." Tina sighed. "I've liked her since at least fourth grade. She likes girls. But she's never _once_ looked at me like a girl. _Ever_." Her eyes narrowed on Chloe. "Is it because I'm ugly?"

This was what Chloe loved about life.

It had a way of bitch slapping you in the face with all its weirdness.

Never in her life did she think she'd be having this conversation with Tina Greer.

She'd never thought she'd ever have a conversation with Tina Greer _period_.

"I don't think you're ugly, and I'm not trying to make you feel better if that's what you're thinking." Chloe raised her hand to shut the girl up when her mouth opened. "I think, maybe though, you need to stop trying to be Lana Lang because it doesn't suit anyone but Lana Lang."

Tina frowned at her. "Excuse me?"

"You have replicas of her every outfit, you try to do your hair like her, you try to be like her. She probably thinks you're her long lost _twin_, Tina. I mean, look at you." Chloe sighed, motioning to the girl's outfit and her hair, which was up in chopsticks...like Lana's. "You need to let go of your desire to be like her, and be a _you_ she or someone else can like. It's like, you've spent so many years shadowing her _you_ never developed your own..._you_."

Tina looked horribly insulted and unable to speak.

Chloe moved so that she was kneeling right in front of the other girl and yanked the chopsticks out of her hair, tossing them behind the sofa no one was using, and then she ruffled Tina's hair, ignoring the other girl's squeak of horror. "See? Just because Lana has her hair in chopsticks today doesn't mean _you_ have to as well." Chloe responded, using her fingers to comb the other girl's hair before pulling away and admiring her handy work with a grin.

"You..." Tina looked at her oddly. "You just _assaulted_ me."

Chloe laughed. "Good thing I didn't try to take off the matching pink cardigan, huh?"

Tina hugged herself, as if scared that Chloe was about to rape her.

Laughing, shaking her head, Chloe gave the other girl a look before going back to her position, not noticing that Lana had stopped giggling on the phone and instead had been watching them through the window, frown on her face.

Whitney returned with a tray of drinks, balancing it nervously.

"Fordman, your girlfriend just groped me." Tina pointed at Chloe accusingly.

Chloe suddenly blushed and looked at the footballer.

He was blushing and looking back at her.

_Girlfriend_?

Persephane, who was the _only one_ enjoying the sofa, watched with interest, tail wagging against a cushion. The dog then went still and looked towards the front of the house, growling.

"Chloe!" Lana threw open the front door. "You need to see this!"

Sharing a look with Whitney and Tina, Chloe stood and hurried out of the door, eyes widening in horror as she skidded to a halt next to Lana.

There in her front lawn, was her father.

Bloody.

Bruised.

In black and white.

This was an illusion...one that was _supposed_ to be obvious was an illusion.

Whoever was the one who was doing this was somewhere out there.

"Where are you?" Chloe snapped, and would have hurried down her front porch if Whitney hadn't grabbed her arm and pushed her back behind him.

"What do you want?" Whitney snarled at the illusion, taking a menacing step towards it. "Leave Chloe and Lana alone!"

Chloe made to join him but Lana reached for her hand and squeezed, shaking her head.

The blonde looked at Lana.

The girl's eyes were pleading with her.

Sighing, Chloe looked back at the illusion.

Lana was right.

Chloe had gone up against this thing twice and nearly died both times.

She needed to be smart about this.

"Ah, you think you can protect them? Any of them?" Her father's black and white copy chuckled. "_Why_ do you think I sent you that video feed, Whitney Fordman? Its to show you how _easy_ it is for me to hurt her, hurt whoever protects her. You can't _touch_ me."

"Because you're too much of a coward to actually show yourself!" Whitney growled, and would have headed down the steps if Chloe's hand hadn't gripped the back of his shirt, keeping him there. "You're such a coward that you have to send these _illusions_ instead!"

Gabe's illusion narrowed its eyes. "Punk ass _kid_!"

"Persie no!" Tina, who'd been holding Persephane's collar, gasped as the struggling puppy finally broke free and charge passed them down the stairs at the illusion.

"Persephane!" Chloe yelled, yanking her hand out of Lana's grip and pushing passed Whitney as well, rushing down the steps after her puppy. "Stop! Come back here!"

"Chloe!" Whitney called after her, hurrying down the steps as well.

"Persie!"

Persephane ignored her owner's calls and instead charged the illusion, growling viciously.

Suddenly the illusion shifted, morphed, and now it wasn't Gabe, but a monstrously large dog.

Chloe nearly tripped, eyes widening in horror.

Persephane wasn't deterred, attacking.

It was vicious and ugly and...and it ended too quickly with Persephane crying painfully in the creature's monstrous jaws.

"No!" Chloe screamed, about to rush to the creature when Whitney grabbed her from behind, restraining her. "Please! Don't hurt her! _Please!"_

The creature watched as her tears began to make their way down her cheeks.

"The puppy was just trying to defend her." Lana hurried down the steps, stopping next to Whitney and Chloe. "Please don't hurt her. _Please_. Do you still want me to stop hanging around with Chloe? I _will_. Just _please_ don't hurt Persephane!"

Chloe turned to look at Lana in surprise.

Lana looked about to cry, but was determined. "_Please_."

Persephane whimpered pitifully.

Chloe struggled against Whitney, desperate to get at her puppy. "What do you _want_?" Her voice broke, desperate.

The creature continued to watch them all in silence before throwing the puppy to the ground, and transforming into a Grim Reaper, sickle in hand. "I want you to suffer."

"_Why_?" Chloe snapped, sick of this. "Are you _that_ in love with Lana? That anyone who gets close to her you want to make miserable?"

"Of course not." The Grim Reaper, the face of Death itself, sneered. "This has never been about Lana."

"The _hell_ it hasn't!" Tina Greer snapped, finally coming down the steps. "When you attacked Chloe in the bathroom you told her to stay away from Lana...and then you tried to _kidnap_ Lana! And then, when that failed, you attacked Chloe in her home because-because of _her_ Lana had attacked you!"

The Grim Reaper smirked. "Is that _truly_ the reason why I attacked her?"

Chloe went cold. "What are you saying?"

"You disappoint me Chloe." The Grim Reaper tsked, shaking his head and pointing his sickle at her. "How do you plan on working at the Daily Planet one day if you can't even see what's going on in front of your very eyes?"

That was the second time someone had questioned her deductive capabilities today.

She didn't like it.

"Then why don't you just spell it out for me Einstein?" Chloe snarled.

"Don't antagonize him Chloe." Whitney whispered in her ear. "We need to confront the puppeteer, not his puppets."

"Why do you want me to suffer?" Chloe finally whispered.

"Because you're so _blind_." Fury fueled those words, and then, and then he reached out his bony hand towards her.

Chloe could feel something in her throbbing, painfully, and she cried, knees buckling.

Whitney grunted, keeping her from falling. "Chloe?" He sounded frantic. "What did you do to her?"

"Chloe!" Lana cried. "They're illusions Chloe! _Illusions_!"

Chloe looked up and then screamed as the Reaper was suddenly right in her face.

He raised his sickle and slammed the dull side across Whitney's face, knocking him unconscious. The illusions then grabbed Chloe and yanked her to him.

Yanking his hood over his head, the illusion pulled his cloak over and around her, pressing her into his cold body.

Everything went black.

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**Review?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.**

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"You should have called me the moment this thing appeared!" Officer Tristan Maxwell snarled at Whitney and the girls the moment he stepped onto scene, cop-lights blearing, siren screaming in the night.

"And what _exactly_ could you have done?" Tina wanted to know, sneering. "It's an _illusion_. Shooting at it would have only put Chloe in more danger."

Lana looked up from where she was pressing a cold, raw steak to Whitney's face, which was swollen and red.

Whitney hadn't spoken since waking up...not after asking where Chloe was and getting the answer.

The Grim Reaper illusion had knocked her out and taken her.

Persephane had healed herself soon after the disappearance, which confirmed to everyone that yes, the dog _was_ meteor infected.

At least she seemed able to _heal _and not something destructive.

"I could have done _something_." Tristan growled, combing his hand over his hair in frustration.

"He's going to kill her." Whitney whispered, broken. "And I couldn't stop him."

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"Chloe?"

Chloe whimpered, hearing that familiar voice distorted by the ringing in her ear. Her body felt somewhat numb, her eyelids heavy, and yet she somehow managed to open them, her vision blurry.

"Are you okay?" A distorted face was in her line of vision, looming over her, gazing down at her. "I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to wake up."

She gasped and shot up, crying as the world shook and she collapsed back on what appeared to be a bed.

"Calm down, you're going to hurt yourself." Strong hands pressed her shoulders down into the comfortable mattress.

"Don't-..." She wanted to fight but her body was sluggish, as if she was drugged.

The edge of the mattress sunk with his weight. "Breathe in and out." His hand reached out to brush the hair out of her face. "Try concentrating on the sound of my voice."

He didn't seem like he was going to hurt her, so Chloe stopped struggling, and instead followed his orders.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the distortion that was his voice.

Slowly.

_Slowly_.

His voice was becoming recognizable.

Chloe's eyes flew open as she looked up at him, his face now face. "_Ricky_?"

"Hey." The Center smiled sheepishly at her. "I want to welcome you but I don't think that's the right thing to say."

"Where am I?" Chloe jerked away from him, looking around the dark room.

"Under the Kawatche Caves." Ricky responded, standing up. "These cave systems run for miles on end and there are so many different veins that it will be impossible for anyone to find us." He turned to her, shucking his hands in his pockets. "It's just you and me...for now."

"For now?" Chloe slid off of the bed, looking around her for something to use as a weapon, and yet unable to. "Why did you do it, Ricky? Why did you do everything? It makes no sense!"

"Huh?" Ricky looked at her in confusion, before he shook his head. "_Chloe_, whatever it is you think I've done, I haven't, okay? I've been stuck in here since before school started."

Her eyes narrowed. "_What?"_

"Look, you deal with the weird so you won't think I'm insane." Ricky sighed. "But there's someone out there who can make himself or herself look like someone else, okay? I was kidnapped the week before school started, and I woke up down here. Then this dude who looks like the Grim Reaper appeared and told me that I was going to tell him everything about your relationship with me."

Chloe blinked.

"My reaction exactly." Ricky threw his hands in the air. "I told him that we really _didn't_ have a relationship, I just gave you interviews for the team, and you helped me that once when my science grade was so bad I was going to get taken off the team if I failed the exam. Remember?"

Chloe nodded, remembering being surprised when Ricky had come up to her and asked for help.

She'd admired that he could not only admit that he needed help, but ask her for it.

"So you've been down here this whole time?" Chloe asked, sitting down once more, frowning. "Why haven't you tried to escape?"

"I _have_." Ricky gave her a look that told her she was being annoying. "Do you know how many _times_ I've gotten lost trying to find the right vein that will take me to the surface? I _can't_ leave, and he knows that, and that's why I was left here without chains or anything. Its the same reason why _you_ aren't tied up too. He knows that we won't find the surface."

Chloe frowned. "Did he find you? When you got lost in the veins?"

"Must have sent all of his others throughout every vein. He multiplies _and_ shifts. Its freaky." Ricky made a face.

"They're actually illusions that he can make real enough so that they have solid bodies. They're not really there, but somehow he can make them be as if they are." Chloe ran her hand over her hair with a sigh. "I don't really get it. I don't know if its because he's able to trick our minds that its possible, but it just is."

"Well, whatever it is, he or she's gonna kill me now." Ricky collapsed onto the bed, taking in a deep breath.

She narrowed her eyes. "You haven't been killed all this time-why would you think-?"

"Because Reaper's got you, okay?" Ricky snapped, closing his eyes tightly. "This whole time-this whole _thing_-has been about _you_. And now that he has you here Reaper does _not_ need me anymore. He doesn't have to keep me alive so he can grill me and know how I'd react to certain things you do or how I'd behave around you. Okay?"

"That just doesn't make any sense." Chloe laid down next to him, looking up at the ceiling of the cave. "Why go to all of this trouble just to trap me under Smallville?"

"I know, right?" Ricky grumbled. "I mean, I always thought you were more of a coffee and a stroll in the park kinda girl myself. If he or she's that interested in you _why not_ just ask you out?"

Chloe scoffed. "This isn't the move of someone who _likes_ me."

"He got a _bed_ inside of a cave." Ricky turned so that he was resting on his hip and looking at her. "He's somehow got _electricity_ down here."

"It could all be an illusion." Chloe replied.

Ricky paused, looking around him. "Damn. That's-_damn_."

"Amazing what the mind can believe, right?" Chloe sighed, covering her eyes with her arm. "Makes you wonder sometimes what's really real."

"I know my imminent _death_ is rather real." He replied sourly.

Chloe turned to look at him once more. "It makes no sense to keep you alive and well all this while and then kill you off."

"Have you not been listening to me?" Ricky sighed. "Look around this place, Chloe. It's a love shack. And guess what? It wasn't intended for _me_. Thank god." He looked sick at the very thought. "The only use I was for Reaper was a body to imitate and a way to get close to you."

"I just don't-."

"Have I tried to come onto you lately?" Ricky cut it. "Ask you out maybe?"

Chloe frowned, remembering that time when Whitney had insinuated that Ricky had wanted to go to the fair with her...and the time when she couldn't talk and they'd communicated via her notepad. "Uh...you invited me to go to some cabin on an island that your uncle owned or something?"

He shook his head. "I _knew_ he was too interested in that place when I told him about it! He must have been planning to kidnap you then, and have people think that you were off on the vacation."

Chloe frowned. "But-."

"He had something planned, so obviously you did something to make him think that the plan mightn't work." Ricky interrupted once more. "Are you dating anyone?"

Chloe went still.

Pale.

"Oh boy." Ricky sighed.

"I don't-I'm not-not officially." Chloe whispered. "But I-I _care_ for him."

"Does he care for _you_?" Ricky pressed.

Chloe blushed. "I think so."

"Has there been someone who unexpectedly has been trying to force you or convince you away from him or anyone else you've been spending time with? That has reacted...surprisingly angry...?"

Chloe thought of the Lana-double who told her to stay away from Lana...and that was when she and the brunette had been together at the fair...almost as if on a date.

She then thought of Dawn Stiles, who never spoke to her but then all of a sudden verbally attacked her in the bathroom telling her to stay away from Whitney.

And then Chloe thought about the Whitney-double's reaction to seeing her with Clark.

What had he said again?

Something about her being loose.

Now that Ricky made her think about it...that Whitney-double attack had been kinda personal.

"But he tried to kill me." Chloe shook her head, unable to believe that this could be some deluded romantic attempt. "In the bathroom when he pretended to be Lana he nearly crushed my windpipe." Her eyes then widened. "But then afterwards when he was pretending to be _you_ he touched my neck softly and said something about being unable to believe someone would hurt me or something."

Ricky let her mull out the details on her own.

"But then he tried to kill me. _Again_." She pointed out to herself, trying to see this from every angle. "The only reason I survived was because I killed the illusion."

"Can you kill an illusion?" Ricky blinked.

"Silver seems to do it. It's weird. Don't ask me." Chloe waved him off, continuing back to her thoughts. "He was really angry at me at that time though-because he thought I was sleeping with Clark. And then he shoved this thing of meteor rock dust down my throat."

"And what happened to your throat afterwards?" Ricky frowned.

Her eyes widened. "It _healed_."

Ricky raised an eyebrow. "So he healed the damage he'd inflicted on you earlier...but he got sidetracked because he got jealous with you and Clark."

Chloe gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. "I think he _likes_ me!"

Ricky rolled his eyes, threw his hands in the air, and laid back down on the bed.

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**Review?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.**

So I got the idea to make a Facebook page so that you can just ask me questions or make comments or get updates on what I'm updating (and why maybe I'm not updating) and so forth! You can find the link on my author's page!

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"So, who is it?" Ricky asked finally.

"I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out myself." Chloe mumbled.

"No, I don't mean who the psycho who has us is." Ricky rolled his eyes. "I'm asking who the guy you 'care' about is."

"Oh." A blush tinted her cheeks. "Uhm, it's Whitney, actually."

Ricky just looked at her, and then he burst out laughing shaking his head. "I don't believe it! Fordman _finally_ made a move! I was wondering when he'd grow a pair!"

"Huh?" Chloe blinked, looking at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Other than the fact that he's been in love with you for a _long_ time now?" Ricky laughed. "I mean, he's been so _obvious_ about it for so long that I thought it was _sad_. I mean, he didn't have the guts to talk to you himself, so he'd always interrogate me after I'd talk to you-and he read the Torch _faithfully_."

Chloe sat up, remembering Whitney confessing once to reading the school newspaper. "He-he _liked_ me? Before we became friends?"

"Hell yeah." Ricky scoffed, sitting up as well. "The whole team was wondering when he was going to do something about it, and we decided that you know, you might _hate_ us, but if you were dating our star quarterback you mightn't be so scathing in your reviews, so they were all behind him growing a pair and asking you out."

"The whole team-?" Chloe choked, remembering how the team had rallied around her, showing her their support-and then how they'd all watched so eagerly and intently at the fair when Whitney had given her Brutus.

"So he dumped Lang finally, right?" Ricky asked. "Because the guys and I always wondered why they were going out with each other when it was obvious that they _both _wanted in your pants."

Chloe choked on saliva. "_What_?"

"Lana Lang, you know her, the pink princess?" Ricky grinned. "She was cheerleader, he quarterback, everyone thought it was obvious they'd get together. Of course, everyone but the team didn't realize that those two bonded over their obsession with the Torch and their fascination with you. I mean, I used to overhear some of their conversations, and it was all about the freak of the week you'd written about or whatever misadventure you'd gotten into."

"Lana...likes...me?" Chloe brought a hand to her forehead, thinking back to all the weird times with her, Lana, and Whitney.

She'd always just assumed that it was awkward because Lana still liked Whitney...and yet...

Chloe went over Lana's coming to the Torch, asking her to the fair, the looks, the comments, the blushes and hugs, the way Lana couldn't look at Chloe and Whitney together without lowering her gaze and sighing.

Tina's comment about Chloe being denser than hell rung loudly in her ears.

"_Oh my god_." Chloe whispered, lowering her hand form her forehead to her mouth. "I can't-_how_ can I call myself an investigator journalist in the making if I couldn't-?"

Ricky frowned. "I didn't think you'd care this much."

"You don't-get it." Chloe sighed, running a hand over her hair. "I've made _friends_ with Lana. She hangs out with me and Whitney all the time now! I-I know whatever is between me and Whitney made her uncomfortable, but I always thought that it was because she had unresolved feelings for _him_! I never-I-."

"_Awkward_." Ricky mumbled, laying back in bed, arms under his head like a pillow.

She glared at him.

He didn't seem moved at all by her glare. "Well, maybe now Greer has a chance, huh?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip. "Tina needs to concentrate on becoming herself before she can really try to get Lana's attention. She's pretty and she's smart, and I think I got through to her this evening when I told her that-."

"Wait. You talk to Greer?" Ricky sat up in shock. "I thought she didn't talk to anyone who wasn't Lana?"

"No, Tina hangs with us as well." Chloe frowned, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear. "We've been hanging out trying to figure out who this is and why he or she is attacking."

"Wait." Ricky blinked. "You're telling me that you, Whitney, Lana, and _Greer_ hang out?"

She nodded.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "That has got to be the most _unlikely_ alliance that I have _ever_ heard of!"

She could see his point.

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Persephane had been acting weird.

Everyone else was busy with the cops, even Officer Maxwell's sister, the doctor woman, had stopped by to look over Persephane and Whitney since he refused to go to the hospital. Gabe was destroyed, talking to his brother in law on the phone, with the General promising that he'd use his contacts to find Chloe before something happened, but Whitney and everyone else knew it'd be too late by then.

Eyes narrowed on Persephane when the dog came towards him once more, whimpering and wagging her tail before rushing a bit in front of him, Whitney stood. "You want me to follow you."

The dog's tail wagged harder.

He took a step towards the dog.

Persephane ran a little distance and then turned towards him once more.

"Whitney?" Lana called from where she was coming from talking to Tina.

"I think she knows where Chloe was taken!" Whitney called over his shoulder and took off after the dog before Lana and the others could call him back.

Persephane, as if realizing that she now had his full attention, ran harder.

It took all of his football training to keep up with the liquid fast animal, and yet his body was still sore.

Suddenly a jeep overtook the blonde and slammed on the brakes, blocking his way, causing dust to fly up everywhere.

Whitney looked up, surprised to see Tina in her jeep, Lana in the passenger's seat.

"Get in before we lose Persie." Lana turned towards him.

Whitney just looked at his ex girlfriend and smiled, jumping into the back of the jeep in time for the tires to spin loudly before the jeep took off after the still running Persephane.

"How sure are we that she's going after Chloe and not that she's after a rabbit or something?" Tina asked, taking a corner roughly, tires screeching loudly.

Lana and Whitney hit the side of the jeep, each grabbing onto whatever they could for balance.

"I just do." Whitney replied, grabbing the back of both front seats, leaning forwards, gazing at Persephane as she ran without tiring, in front of them on the road.

"How is she following the scent of an illusion?" Tina wanted to know.

"She isn't." Lana held on tight as they took another sharp turn. "She's following _Chloe's_ scent."

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"Oh god." Chloe paced the room.

Ricky watched her with raised eyebrow. "Oh god what?"

"I've been looking at everything wrong, crossing out suspects due to an erroneous assumption that the perpetrator of these crimes was a shapeshifter." The blonde continued to pace the room. "I assumed that Persephane would react to the person responsible for everything because it's common knowledge that shape shifters and canines do not like each other."

"Of course." Ricky raised an eyebrow. "Common knowledge."

She ignored that. "But the only reason Persephane reacted to the illusions was because she could read the energy rising from them. Dogs and other animals can read our energies, which is why they seem to be able to know if you're pissed or something if you just look at them, or how they seem to know when someone is going to have a seizure or epileptic attack before it happens. They're actually reading the vibrational energy we're emitting and can read that and thus translate it into our feelings or if there's violence about to happen or...I can't believe I didn't think of such a _simple_ thing!"

"Simple. Right." Ricky nodded, deadpanned. "Shame on you."

Not catching his sarcasm, Chloe leaned against the cave wall and groaned. "Persephane could have been in the presence of the person making the illusions, but since at the time the person wasn't exhibiting any threatening vibes she wouldn't have reacted to him or her! Which means the person could be anyone! Which means that my friends are out there in danger and they have no way of knowing who the real person behind all of this is!"

"Neither do we." Ricky reminded her.

"That's not as important." She shrugged that away.

"_How_ is that not as important? We're _kidnapped_! And _trapped_!" Ricky exclaimed.

"Exactly! We're already screwed." Chloe explained. "But the others are free, they could find us or discover who the real person behind all of this is and stop him or her...if they knew all of this! Which makes us even more screwed than we originally believed ourselves to be!"

"You give one hell of a peptalk, Sullivan." Ricky mumbled moodily as he laid back down on the bed.

She glared at him.

Suddenly the lights began to flicker all around them.

Ricky shot up on the bed. "Oh no."

"What does it mean?" Chloe asked, looking around her nervously.

"It's back." Ricky turned towards her, pale as a ghost. "I'm going to die."

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**Review?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.**

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All around them the lights began to flicker on and off, on and off, and not only the lights, but the bed and such appeared and disappeared as well, proving that they had all been mirages. Ricky hurried to Chloe's side, and the blonde looked around her, confused and very intimidated by the way her mind had been so easily fooled by these illusions. She couldn't tell anymore what was real and what this illusionist wanted her to believe was real. And that scared her. She could be in a coffin, buried alive once more, and yet this time she wouldn't even know it, hallucinating this encounter and the conversation with Ricky.

"So screwed so screwed so screwed." Ricky kept chanting under his breath, grabbing onto her sleeve.

Chloe couldn't blame him for his slight melt-down but it wasn't helping her remain calm either. Ricky was almost a foot taller and more then forty pounds heavier than her.

He was beefy.

He was strong.

And he was terrified.

"We're going to be fine." Chloe whispered, eyes on the entrance of the cavern they were in, knowing that the illusionist could be here right now and they couldn't even see him or her.

"I'm not supposed to die this way." Ricky confessed, voice cracking slightly. "Grandma said I was going to die in a car accident when I'm fifty. I'm not fricken fifty and this is _not_ a car!"

Chloe sent him a confused look. "Your grandmother told you when you're going to die?"

"Yeah." His eyes were on the entrance, gulping. "You haven't heard about Cassandra Carver? Seriously? I always get hell for it from the boys."

"Your grandmother's psychic?" Chloe made a face. "You'd think she would have _foreseen_ your kidnapping."

He glared at her. "Why must you _always_ nitpick? That's why a lot of people don't like you."

"I'm not nitpicking." Chloe glared back. "I just think that if your grandmother's a psychic she should've seen this one coming!"

"It doesn't work that way, okay? She has to physically touch you and-you know what? This is _not_ the time to get into this with you!" Ricky snapped. "Meteor-powered Fatal Attraction going on right about now, remember?"

"Right." Chloe blinked, turning her attention back to the entrance. "One fight at a time."

"Smart girl." Ricky replied with a sharp nod.

They stood together, on edge, and yet other than the flickering nothing was really happening.

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "_Hello_?" She took a step forwards, but couldn't get very far since Ricky was still holding onto her sleeve. "Look, whoever you are who's doing this-this isn't romantic. It's scary and wrong and against the law. You don't win a girl by kidnapping her or threatening those around her." She cleared her throat. "You should have realized this after seeing the failures at wooing all of Lana's admirers have been. Did she think any of their stalking and threatening romantic? No. Did they end up with the girl? No. They ended up dead or in Belle Reeve, and I know you don't want to be faced with either option."

"I don't think you should be saying that." Ricky muttered.

She ignored him. "I don't know the _real_ reason you're doing this, if you really actually like me or if there's another reason behind everything, but this is _not_ the way to get things done. And to be completely honest with you, it's kinda cowardly how you're going about everything."

"Are you _trying_ to get us killed?" Ricky snapped.

Once more she ignored him.

"_Cowardly_?" A bone-chilling voice, which sounded like a millions voices speaking at once, echoed through the cavern. "You _dare_ call me a coward?"

Ricky gulped.

So did Chloe, gripping his sleeve too, for moral support. "Yeah. You're being a real coward."

"_Sullivan_." Ricky hissed.

"You attack people, kidnap them, and yet you don't even have the guts to do so personally. You send out illusions or manifestations or whatever the hell you do. Why do you do that? Because you know you can't get hurt like that. You don't take any chances. You're not even putting your _all_ into this kidnapping/hostage situation." Chloe cleared her throat, raising her chin, trying to hide the fear as she prayed her bluffing and fronting would pay off. "Here we are, trapped under Smallville, with no way out, and _still_ you won't show yourself. _Still_ you hide behind smoke and mirrors." Her smile trembled slightly. "And _that_ makes you a coward."

"Oh _fuck_." Ricky cursed behind her.

There was a roar.

And then everything went black.

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"Are you kidding me?" Tina groaned as she gazed at Persephane, who was barking into the entrance of the Kawatche Caves. "We have to go in _there_?"

Whitney ignored her, searching the back for something and his smile was grim as he pulled out a tire iron.

Lana fished out a flashlight from the glovebox before jumping out, turning it on, the light strong in the darkness. "We're ready."

"How do we even know Chloe's really in there?" Tina argued, giving the newly discovered and yet to be chartered cave system a suspicious look. "For all we know it's a trap, and that's not even Persephane, but an illusion. We'll follow it in, get lost, and no one will even know we came here. Fifty years later they'll find our dried out carcasses."

Lana turned to her friend. "Then you stay out here and phone Officer Maxwell to let him know what's happening."

"I'm not letting you go in there by yourself!" Tina gasped in shock.

"She's not going to be by herself." Whitney gripped the tire iron tight as he reached them, placing a hand on Lana's shoulder.

"Yeah, like I trust her with _you_." Tina snorted. "You couldn't even take care of your own _girlfriend_."

Whitney snarled and took a menacing step towards her.

Tina sneered.

"Enough!" Lana hissed, eyes vicious. "Chloe is in real trouble and you two need to grow up and put your petty differences aside! Tina, you're staying here and calling backup. No arguments!"

Tina gulped, before nodding. "Okay."

"And _you_, come on." Lana turned to Whitney, grabbing onto his jersey and giving him a yank to get him going as she stormed towards the cave entrance.

Persephane, seeing that they were following, dove into the darkness of the cave.

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"Anymore bright ideas?" Ricky snapped, pressing his back hard to the cave wall, growls echoing all around them.

"_Shut up_." Chloe snapped back at him.

"Just as soon as _you_ do." He growled.

"Will you two just _shut up_ already?" Their kidnapper roared. "God! You're both so _annoying_!"

The teenagers went quiet immediately.

That voice had been_ close._

And familiar.

Chloe's eyes widened.

It _couldn't_ be.

Ricky blinked. "You're a..._chick_?"

Chloe elbowed him.

Hard.

There was silence around them.

The blonde took in a deep breath, licking her lips, head unable to wrap around the person she associated that voice with.

"Dr. Maxwell?" She cleared her throat, taking a shaky step forwards into the dark. "Dr. Maxwell, is that _you_?"

There was silence.

And then a sigh.

"If only you hadn't annoyed me into forgetting to use my Big Bad voice." The woman declared in the darkness. "You weren't supposed to realize it was me, you were supposed to get out of this alive, but I suppose you're too smart for you own good."

"I'd like to debate that." Ricky mumbled. "She didn't even realize that Whitney and Lana liked her."

Chloe shot him a glare. "The fact that I don't realize potential love interests is _not_ the issue right now!"

"Actually, it _is_." Dr. Ginny Maxwell announced from the darkness. "You see, if you _had_, none of us would be in this situation right now."

Chloe blinked, clearing her throat. "Uhm, Dr. Maxwell? Not that I don't appreciate your, uh, feelings...but you're a little too old for me."

"Her age? _That's_ what you have against her? Her _age?_" Ricky snapped. "The whole psychotic Single White Female thing isn't even being taken as an _issue_?"

"Not _me_ you idiots!" Dr. Maxwell snapped, audibly at her wit's end. "It's my _brother_ who's been in love with her since he was in high school! But other than being her little informant, he's been unable to even _make a move_ on her because she's just so oblivious to what's so obvious and right in front of her face! My baby brother is the best man I know, and he hasn't gotten a girlfriend because he's pinning over a stupid _school girl_ who doesn't even know he _exists_!"

"Wait. You're in league with Officer Maxwell?" Ricky squeaked.

"No." Ginny Maxwell snorted. "Tristan would _never_ do something like his. That's why I had to do it _for_ him."

"You were going to kill me for him?" Chloe whispered.

"No. I was going to endanger you and then he was to come and save you. That was going to open your eyes to see him in a different light. Finally. But then I slipped up, and now I can't let you live." Ginny Maxwell replied. "At least, after you're _dead_, my little brother will finally be able to get over you and find someone who's worthy of his affections."

"Wait, you have to understand Chloe on this one." Ricky surprisingly enough came to her rescue. "Even _I_ didn't realize Dudley Do-Right had anything other than Big Brother-like feelings for her. And believe me, I can usually pick up on these sorts of things. And anyway, he's a grown man and she's just a high school girl. Maybe your brother didn't make a move because he knew it was _wrong_ to have feelings like that for a _girl_ and was waiting for her to, I don't know, _graduate from high school_ before trying anything?"

"I guess we'll never know now, will we?" The good doctor asked, the voice closer and closer. "Don't worry, this won't hurt one bit."

And then there was the sound of a growl, and Dr. Maxwell's screams.

It sounded like it hurt.

A lot.

Ricky and Chloe jumped towards each other, hearing the woman screaming, and the sound of an animal attacking her.

What the heck was _down_ there with them?

Were they next?

Suddenly a light shone from the entrance of the cavern at the sound, showing Persephane on top of the fallen doctor, attacking ferociously, biting and clawing and keeping the woman pinned to the ground.

"_Persephane_?" Chloe whispered, eyes wide.

The light followed her voice and shone on her and Ricky.

"_Chloe_?" Whitney could be heard whispering. "_Ricky?"_

"_You're alright_!" Lana's voice trembled as she raced towards Chloe and flung her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "We were so worried!"

In seconds Whitney had joined them, arms wrapped around the hugging girls, pressing a hard kiss to Chloe's forehead before resting his forehead against hers. "_I thought you were dead_."

Chloe, still hugging Lana with one hand, slipped the other around Whitney and held on tightly.

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking." Ricky grumbled. "Way to make a guy feel special and cared about."

Persephane turned towards them and came running rapidly, barking and waving her tail.

"_Persie_." Chloe slipped out of Lana and Whitney's hold, and went to her knees, hugging her beloved dog.

"Is that...Doc Maxwell?" Lana whispered, horrified, shining her light on the limp figure on the ground.

"Yep." Ricky mumbled, going towards the doctor and hesitantly reaching down to press his fingers to her pulse. "It's still there. She's alive. She must have hit her head hard while thrashing around and knocked herself out."

Chloe took in a deep breath.

"I can't believe Dr. Maxwell was the one behind everything!" Lana whispered in horror. "Is Officer Maxwell-?"

"_No_." Chloe shook her head.

"That's how Sephie got Chloe's scent." Whitney's eyes widened. "Doc Maxwell came by, remember? She must have come back from the Caves, with Chloe's scent on her, and Persephane picked up on it and was able to follow it back here."

Chloe rubbed behind Persephane's ear. "Good puppy."

"Do you think SuperPup can get us back out?" Ricky wanted to know, picking up Ginny Maxwell's unconscious body with a grunt. "We need to hand the Good Doc over to the law."

Chloe sighed, looking down. "How am I going to explain this to Tristan?"

"Explain what?" Whitney frowned. "Why was Dr. Maxwell doing this anyway?"

As the group followed Persephane back out of the cave system, Ricky and Chloe explained what exactly had happened before their rescue.

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**Review?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville.**

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Dr. Maxwell had been administered to Belle Reeve, with a bracelet that nullified her powers. She'd awoken right as the cops had been arriving (Tina having apparently stayed outside to call them), and the authority had witnessed her using her powers. And Ginny Maxwell might have gotten away, too, since she created multiple versions of herself to try and escape. What the woman hadn't expected, of course, was the fact that Persephane could tell which was the real her...and Chloe guessed that no one would connect Lana's concentrated expression to Ginny's sudden, inexplicable clumsiness.

Needless to say, despite the near happy ending, Chloe and Tristan's relationship was now strained at best.

He turned the other way whenever he saw her.

It hurt, but she could understand it, and let him.

Still, it hurt because he'd been a good friend for a long time and she'd never been someone who had a lot of friends.

Then again...

"You're a big cheater Clark Kent!" Tina Greer shook her fist in the air, face red for having over exerted herself.

"I am _not_." Clark defended, that little tilt of his lips giving one doubt to the truth of his claims. "I'm just a little _faster_ than you."

"I win all the races at school." Tina argued, bending over, gulping in breaths. "I'm the _fastest_ in track. There's no _way _you could have beaten me fairly! You're on something! Steroids! _Something_!"

Tina had slowly but surely integrated herself more into things at school, joining the track and drama clubs, and while she was still mostly introverted she'd actually started making friends with others other than their little group.

It was doing the girl a helluva good.

She was becoming her own person, no longer choosing her wardrobe or hairstyle to match Lana's.

"You know, with speed like that, Kent should try out for the football team." Ricky Foster commented to Pete, the boy having gotten over the trauma of his abduction incredibly fast.

But that was probably because once the news got out all the girls in school crowded him to 'console' him for everything he'd gone through.

"I've been telling Clark that since _forever_!" Pete agreed, swallowing a sip of lemonade. "But the person we really have to convince is _Mister Kent_. For some reason he's really protective of Clark and doesn't want him joining up."

"Aw." Ricky snickered. "We wouldn't hurt Clark _too_ much."

"You know, that probably isn't the best attitude to take if they're trying to convince Clark's dad to let him go." Lana laughed from where she wast curled up on the porch swing, next to Chloe.

"I agree." Chloe chuckled, shaking her head. "But I know that Clark has always really wanted to play football, so maybe with Pete and Ricky and Whitney pleading alongside him they can wear down Mr. Kent."

"Hopefully." Lana watched as Whitney threw a Frisbee, Persephane racing after it at full speed.

The dog jumped, catching the Frisbee in her mouth, before racing back to the blonde, tail wagging.

Chloe smiled, eyes on Whitney as he bent to take the Frisbee from Persephane, rubbing her head affectionately.

The dog licked his face happily.

Shaking her head, Chloe turned her attention to Lana, watching the girl gazing down at her nails. "So, what did Ricky's Grandmother predict about _your_ future?"

There was more than a little disdain in the blonde's voice.

Considering that Cassandra Carver hadn't been able to predict her grandson's abduction Chloe didn't bank on the woman's words. She'd only gone along with Ricky, Tina, Lana and Whitney because the others had heard about Cassandra's predictions and had been psyched. Also, this was apparently the way the old woman wanted to thank the others for getting her son back safe and sound.

A secretive smile tilted Lana's lips as she gave Chloe a sideways glance before those hazel eyes looked elsewhere. "Nothing much. Just the usual, you know."

"Ah yes, the ever overused prediction." Chloe nodded in derision. "Tina said that she was told she'd find something in which she stood out and would excel in."

"Don't forget the part where she's going to meet a guy who will be different like her and be able to understand her unlike anyone else could or would." Lana reminded, eyeing Tina as the girl continued to argue with Clark, who was rolling his eyes at her despite the wide smile on his face.

"Right." Chloe eyed them as well. "Well, that's just generic."

"Of course." Lana agreed, though there was secret amusement in her tone. "Cassandra told Whitney that he'd join the Marines or something like that and be a great hero."

"Everyone knows that Mr. Fordman was in the Vietnam war and earned medals for honor and bravery in battle." Chloe made a face, not liking the thought of Whitney being in the war or anything like that.

"True." Lana nodded, sending the blonde jock a look. "Has Whit ever mentioned an interest in joining the Marines?"

"Of course not." Chloe was quick to clear. "He chuckled when he told me the prediction. It's stupid. Whitney would _never_ join the Marines."

Lana sent her a small smile. "You're scared of the thought, huh?"

Chloe frowned, looking away. "No reason to be scared. The woman is obviously a fake."

Lana raised an eyebrow. "What did she say she saw when she touched _you_?"

Chloe pursed her lips, not really wanting to think about it. "Nothing, just that generic crap like you said."

"You called it crap, not me." Lana pointed out, before her phone ringing caused her to pull it from her pocket and smile at the caller I.D. "It's Lois."

Chloe looked at Lana, and gave her a small smile. "You know...if you and my cousin ever decide to...uh...I wouldn't mind at all." She grinned in amusement. "I don't think I can imagine it-I'd have to see you two together for everything to just _click_ somehow-but you would both have my full support."

Lana just smiled softly at her and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before standing and answering the phone, walking away for some privacy.

Chloe watched her until she disappeared around the house.

"Did Lana just make a pass at you?" Whitney bounded up the steps, Persephane hot on his trail, as he sat down where Lana had just vacated.

"What do you think about Lana and Lois?" Chloe asked instead, shuffling closer to Whitney and leaning her head against his chest, smiling as his arm went around her. "Can you imagine it?"

"Hmmmm." Whitney hummed, smiling down at Persephane as she pushed up on her hind legs so that she was resting her front paws on his knees, shoving the Frisbee into his face. "Is there development in that direction?"

"Lois calls her more than she does me." Chloe shrugged, taking the Frisbee and throwing it out onto the lawn, Persephane racing away. "So I'm thinking _yes_."

"How do _you_ feel about it?" Whitney asked, caressing her arm with his thumb.

"Weird." Chloe admitted. "But mostly curious." She grinned up at him. "I'd _really_ like to see the two of them in the same room, you know, physically. I think they'd look good together though."

"Me too." Whitney admitted, grinning down at her.

Their smiles grew less amused and more aware as they gazed into each other's eyes.

They had yet to talk about what was happening between them, to give it a name, a definition, but for now this was more than enough.

Whitney pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Chloe closed her eyes, melting into the tenderness of the act.

"You really don't have any desire to join the Marines, right?" She whispered, face lifted, eyes still closed.

"I don't." He whispered against her forehead before pulling away, and she could taste the peppermint in his breath on her lips as he spoke. "I'm more than content right here."

And then his hand was cupping the back of her head and his lips capturing hers in a slow, adoring kiss that curled her toes and caused her heart to flutter wildly.

Chloe's hand rose to cup his cheek as she leaned in closer, opening her mouth to the kiss, enjoying the sound he made when her tongue met his.

Finally pulling away when they received teasing hoots from Ricky and Pete, Chloe and Whitney shared blushing smiles before she settled against his chest once more, enjoying his arm around her.

Pressing another kiss to the crown of her head, Whitney then leaned his cheek against it as they rocked slowly on the porch swing. "Mrs. Carver's prediction really shook you up, huh?"

"I don't believe in her premonitions." Chloe mumbled against his shirt, closing her eyes, breathing in his scent.

"The whole school seems to. She's a legend." Whitney admitted. "Ricky always gets hell from the boys, they always want her to try and predict lottery numbers of the outcomes of games or something. It annoys him to death, so the fact that he actually brought us to her means a lot."

"I guess." Chloe caressed Whitney's chest over his shirt, her fingers hesitating over the steady beating of his heart. "I should just be grateful for the show of friendship and try downplay my reluctance to believe any of it."

Whitney chuckled. "What I don't get is _why_ you're being reluctant, I mean, you're Chloe Sullivan. Your name is practically a _synonym _of weird and unexplained. It's what you thrive on. Why all of a sudden are you a skeptic?"

"We don't use the _S_ word in this household." Chloe leaned up and pressed her fingertips to his lips.

The lips under those fingers quirked in a smile.

"I'm not a doubter of psychics on a _whole_, only of _her_." Chloe explained, removing her fingers. "If she had known about Ricky's abduction I would have taken her more seriously, given her reasonable doubt, but she didn't so I don't."

"That's fair." Whitney decided, gaze going to where Pete, Clark, Ricky and Tina had apparently decided to play touch football together, Tina and Ricky against Clark and Pete.

Currently Clark had grabbed Tina from behind and swung the girl who was holding the pigskin around, causing her to shriek in laughter.

"What did Mrs. Carver predict for you?" Whitney asked, finally tearing his gaze from those playing, eyes on her face. "I think you're the only one I never heard about."

Chloe frowned, looking away. "She said that someone I love was going to die."

Whitney's eyes widened in horror. "Did she say _who_?"

"No." Chloe shook her head, finally looking at him. "But since I don't believe in her, I'm not worried."

"Right." Whitney looked at her, eyes sketching over her every feature, before he pulled her closer to him, encircling her in his arms as he kissed her temple. "She's obviously a little senile anyway."

Chloe smiled softly, knowing what he was doing, and falling a little more in love with him than she'd been before.

As the blondes cuddled on the porch, laughter all around them, Chloe resolved not to let an old woman's words bring a dark cloud to such a beautiful, sunny day.

Instead she just smiled up into Whitney's face, cupped his cheek, and rose slightly to meet his lips in a slow kiss in which she placed all the emotions they had yet to put into words, and yet knew about anyway.

Whitney kissed her back just as slowly, just as tenderly, his feelings being communicated just as clearly as hers.

Chloe smiled into the kiss, thanking everything holy for evil eyes and stubborn jocks who stormed snarky reporter's offices and demanded help.

"Stop thinking." Whitney whispered against her lips.

With a gasp of laughter, Chloe kissed harder, her hands burying themselves in his hair as he drew her closer, and wiped all thoughts from her mind.

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**Oh my. This is finally finished!**

**Review?**


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